COVID-19, Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement: from Facts to Responses

Each crisis creates victims.

The COVID-19 crisis has been no different. Its global impact has meant that OSCE participating States were not spared.

Like many other crises, those already vulnerable before the pandemic are suffering or will suffer the most.

Soon after many states introduced lockdowns and confinement measures to stem the spread of the virus, a significant increase in domestic violence cases was reported by civil society, Europol and INTERPOL.

As is the case with domestic violence, most of the victims were women and children.

Violence against any human being is a breach of their human rights. Violence against women and children is among the worst breaches of human rights[1].

Lockdowns exacerbated other challenges brought on by the pandemic, such as growing economic uncertainties and potential job losses. Put together with the deeply rooted causes of domestic violence, for example, unequal power relations, harmful social norms and attitudes, and couples and families now trapped within the four walls of their homes, it is little wonder that women and children are at risk.

The fundamental mission of police services is to preserve and ensure safety and security for the public. At the same time, the police have to respect privacy and cannot enter private houses without lawful request. This is where the challenge is when dealing with domestic violence cases. Therefore, new solutions for the police have to be found to enable reporting and response to domestic violence in a safe way during the pandemic and afterwards.

Not only do the police have to detain and investigate criminals, but perhaps more importantly, they also have to deter and prevent crimes from happening in the first place.

The police have to be alerted at the earliest stage of domestic violence. This cannot be done without the co-operation with other parties. Community policing has a specific benefit by cementing partnerships and reciprocal links between the public and the police. 

Then, victims (from the most initial stage) have to be offered a safe way to inform or report on their situations. A number of options have already been introduced in some participating States: a hotline without call records, online reporting, point of contact in a shopping mall or pharmacy, and awareness-raising campaigns.

The OSCE provides assistance and expertise to any parties in need. The Strategic Police Matters Unit of the Transnational Threats Department and the Programme on Gender Issues have extensive and cross-cutting experience and knowledge on this particularly challenging issue. The OSCE has the tools to help its participating States and Partners for Co-operation by proposing and bringing answers ranging from awareness campaigns to access to law enforcement and justice, to data collection and reporting mechanisms.

The recent jointly organized webinar with our colleagues working on gender issues and the OSCE Chair, attracted a high number of participants from governments, international organizations and NGOs. This highlights the need to share experience and expertise in order to improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of all actors dealing with domestic violence situations.

[1] OSCE-led survey on violence against women in South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe showed that 60% of women have experienced intimate partner psychological violence, 21% physical violence and 7% sexual violence.