Laws (milestones)

A certain picture of the state of domestic violence in the Czech Republic can be provided by
the number of reports of violent persons from joint households. The White Circle of Safety
has long been collecting summaries of the number of reports made by the Police of the Czech
Republic. From 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2019, a total of 15,464 reports were
made in the Czech Republic (BKB, n.d.):

 In 2007, when reporting began, there were a total of 862 reports,

 In 2010 the number of reports reached 1,058,
 In 2011 there were 1,430 reports.
 From 2012 to 2019, with slight deviations, we note a downward trend in the total
number of reports
 In 2019, there were 1,256 reports, which is the fewest since 2011 (BKB, n.d.).
According to the available data, developments indicate that the incidence of domestic
violence in the Czech Republic is decreasing. Here, however, it is necessary to draw
attention to the fact that these data do not provide complete and true information about
the state of domestic violence in Czech society, because in practice we encounter
the fact that each police department approaches the reporting institute in a
different way and the violent incident is not always evaluated by the police such
as domestic violence, where it would be appropriate to expel the violent person from
the shared residence. Also, cases of violence to which the police arrive is only a
fraction of the total number of violent incidents.

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 In the Czech Republic, domestic violence was on the margins of attention for a very
long time, the situation changed only after 1989.
 In 2001, the government also included this issue in the forefront of its interest and
priorities. Cooperation with non-profit organizations working in the field of domestic
violence was initiated and legislative changes were made.

 On June 1, 2004, the amendment to Criminal Law No. 140/1961 Coll. entered into
force, introducing a new § 215a on mistreatment of a person living in a shared house
 or apartment. This section is colloquially known as the domestic violence section.
Anyone who commits the crime of abusing a person living in a shared house or
apartment may be punished with imprisonment for up to three years. If he tortures a
given person in a very cruel way, torments several people or commits such violence
for a long time, he can be sentenced to imprisonment for two to eight years.

 At the beginning of 2004, an amendment to the criminal code came into effect, which
improved the position of victims of domestic violence. Pursuant to § 163a, law
enforcement authorities do not have to require the victim's consent to the prosecution
of an offender who is a person close to the victim. This consent is not required in cases
where it is clear that it was not given or was withdrawn based on threats, coercion,
subordination of the victim to the aggressor.

 On January 1, 2007, a new Act No. 135/2006 Coll. came into effect in the Czech
Republic, amending some laws in the area of protection against domestic violence.
The Domestic Violence Protection Act links the activities of police authorities, courts
and social service organizations in dealing with domestic violence. Before the
adoption of this law, the aggressors could stay in the apartment with the victim, and if
the victim wanted to end cohabitation with the violent partner, she had to leave the
joint household herself. Even the presentation or detention of the perpetrator by the
police was not effective, because after a short time the rapist was released.

 Number of deportation and entry ban decisions from 1 January to 31 December 2007

The police of the Czech Republic report an average of 3 perpetrators of domestic

violence per day. From January 1 to December 31, 2007, a total of 862 police decisions were
issued in the Czech Republic to report or prohibit the offender from entering a shared
residence. 854 deported persons were men, there were a total of 8 deported women.
47.5% (410 cases) of the total number of decisions issued were expulsion decisions, in 42.7%
(368 cases) it was a ban on entering the household. 7% (i.e. 58 cases) of these reports were
repeated. 10% (84 cases) of the decisions of the Police of the Czech Republic were
incorrect, which means that decisions on banning entry and expulsion from the dwelling
were issued at the same time. (Vitoušová, 2008, http://www.domacinasili.cz)
In 2007, 1,833 persons were threatened by domestic violence, of which 892 were adults (858
women and 34 men). This is the number of victims who have been granted protection
through deportation orders. In 941 cases, children witnessed the violent incident that resulted
in the expulsion decision. The age group most at risk was people aged 31 to 40 (39% in
total), followed by 41-50 years (25%) and 21-30 years (16%).

In 337 cases of deportation, vulnerable persons filed a request for a preliminary measure,
thereby wanting to extend the period of deportation of a violent person. The court extended
the deadline for 73.5% (i.e. 190) of the applicants and 14% did not comply. In four cases the
proposal was withdrawn and information was not obtained on the other cases. (Vitoušová,
2008, http://www.domacinasili.cz)

Violence prevailed in marital relationships (54% = 467 cases), 205 reports related to
unmarried cohabitation, 134 cases occurred in transgenerational relationships and 55 in
divorced marriages. The rest of the expulsion decision was issued

in partner, sibling and other relationships. (Vitoušová, http://www.domacinasili.cz)

There are an average of 61.6 reported cases per region in the Czech Republic. The largest
number of deportation decisions were issued in the Moravian-Silesian Region, a total of 213
(almost 25%). In second place in the largest number of reports is the South Moravian Region,
where 82 decisions were issued. Participation in the implementation of projects since 2003,
the aim of which was to solve cases of domestic violence with the greatest possible
participation of members of the police, has a major influence on the fact that the most people
were deported in these regions.

RESEARCH STEM 2006

- Face to face
- - 1,690 inhabitants over the age of fifteen
- - According to this research, 23% of the population over the age of fifteen have had
direct experience with domestic violence, 13% of people have become victims.
50% of the respondents had indirect experience with domestic violence, i.e. they
only knew about it by hearsay. 1% of respondents admitted that they had become an
attacker of a close person. 59% of the violence was long-term and 52% was becoming
more frequent. In 35%, the violence lasted for more than three years.
 - - Victims of domestic violence usually seek help only after six years of cohabitation
with a violent partner. Children grew up in 84% of families where domestic
violence occurred. However, children witnessed attacks in 57% of cases. 81%
involved physical violence and 48% combined physical and psychological violence.
Physical violence occurred alone in 18% of cases, in 14% there was a combination of
physical, psychological and sexual violence.
- - 51% of cases of domestic violence occurred in families with average financial
security, 20% were solidly or very well provided for. 23% of respondents who had
direct experience of domestic violence said that the household was poorly secured.
4% of households where domestic violence took place were fundamentally poor. Most
victims (41%) and perpetrators (52%) had a teaching certificate. 45% of the victims
and one third of the perpetrators had at least a high school education, 39% of the
victims and 24% of the perpetrators had a high school diploma, and 6% of the victims
and 9% of the perpetrators had a college degree.

(In the Czech Republic, there is also a program for perpetrators of domestic violence,
offered by the J. J. Pestalozzi Center in Chrudim. But participation in therapy is
voluntary, the law does not allow courts to impose participation in such a program as an
obligation.)

Source: Vitoušová, 2008, http://www.domacinasili.cz