OSCE concludes police training seminars on domestic violence in Kazakhstan

The last in a series of five OSCE-supported training seminars co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana and the Interior Ministry for police inspectors and officers on trends and challenges in preventing domestic violence took place on 5 June 2014 in Kokshetau.

Some 40 police officers from the northern regions of Kazakhstan discussed good practices in reviewing administrative domestic violence cases with city court judges and prosecutors. Together with experts from non-governmental organizations, they also identified effective ways to implement recently adopted legislative amendments into their daily work with victims. The amendments, were strongly advocated by the Centre.

Rymtay Akhtanberlin, Head of the Department of Crime Prevention at the Interior Ministry said, “The new amendments include provisions that allow victims of domestic violence to receive appropriate care, regardless of where they live, and facilitate appropriate assistance and care for abused children.”

Over the course of three months, some 200 divisional police inspectors from 16 regions took part in the seminars in Astana, Atyrau, Kokshetau, Shymkent and Ust-Kamenogorsk. They had an opportunity to discuss a comprehensive approach towards preventing and addressing this social problem with their colleagues from the prosecutor’s offices and local courts, and improving their skills to investigate domestic violence cases. The training participants also visited a crisis centre for victims of domestic violence supported by local authorities in Atyrau and a shelter for victims of human trafficking and domestic violence which is supported by international organizations in Kokshetau.

These training events are part of the OSCE Centre in Astana’s long-term efforts aimed at supporting the host country’s activities to on preventing and combatting domestic violence.