Georgian police detained a 33-year-old Latvian citizen in Batumi (Adjara) on charges of domestic violence, threats to a family member and failure to comply with a restrictive order, a statement on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
The investigation established that the defendant physically insulted his 40-year-old wife, who is a citizen of the Russian Federation. In addition, the man threatened to kill her.
According to the agency, although the accused was forbidden to approach his wife, he regularly went to her apartment and made scandals.
The investigation is conducted on the fact of domestic violence and threats to a family member, as well as failure to comply with the requirements of a restrictive warrant. Crime provides punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to three years.
Domestic violence is one of the most common crimes in Georgia. Therefore, despite the difficult situation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Georgian government continues to pursue a tough policy to prevent domestic violence and violence against women.
For victims of domestic violence, a 24-hour hotline runs 116 006. It provides free and anonymous psychological and legal counselling in eight languages. The hotline 112 is also in constant operation.
Crisis centres and shelters continue to operate throughout the country. A service of distance psychological consultation will soon be added to the list.
The statistics are horrifying: according to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, domestic violence and violence against women ranks third in the overall picture of crime in the country.
According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, in 2016, 4.6 thousand people were prosecuted for domestic violence, most of whom were detained. In total, in 2019 the investigation began on more than 6 thousand facts of domestic violence, while in 2018 this figure amounted to 5.6 thousand.
Since 2014, domestic violence has been submitted as a separate article in the Georgian Criminal Code. This is an aggravating circumstance when considering a particular case. Georgian authorities decided to tighten legislation after a wave of murders based on family conflicts. In 2014, 14 people were killed as a result of family disputes.