OSCE-supported event trains law enforcement on working with domestic violence cases

On 27 April 2016, the OSCE Mission to Moldova supported a training event for 70 local law enforcement personnel on handling cases of domestic violence. The event, held in Moldova’s northernmost town of Ocnița, was the second in a series of events in 2016 for law enforcement, local administration and specialists that aim to improve access to services for domestic violence victims in rural areas.

The event trained law enforcement personnel on how to assess the risk and impact of violence on victims, as well as on appropriate response measures in cases of domestic violence. Participants also benefitted from information on co-operating with crisis services, including those engaged in awareness-raising and medical assistance, in order to improve access to such services for victims and individuals at risk of domestic violence.

“This training event has provided our colleagues in Ocnița with a unique opportunity to learn about how to better handle and investigate cases of domestic violence, including how to sanction abusers and how to protect victims,” said Andrei Axenciuc, Chief of Police in Ocnița.  

The event was organized as part of a project implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Artemida NGO, which works with victims and aggressors of domestic violence. In 2016, this project will train approximately 400 law enforcement personnel and crisis services staff, and will also include training events and roundtable discussions for local administration and specialists working on domestic violence cases.