SMALL VICTIMS
The organization has a staff of four people - a director, a lawyer, a social worker, and a psychologist. In a year of operation, they have dealt with 229 requests. There is no shortage of visitors - the service is advertised on television. Most often, victims only need a consultation with a psychologist, social worker, or lawyer. However, in cases of psycho-emotional, sexual, or physical violence, including neglect by parents, it is necessary to contact the police to document physical injuries through forensic examination.
- Children do not come back for help, but I cannot say that this is a result of our work. In many cases, such a request is not necessary; some of them are not directly related to violence. For example, we had a girl who underwent rehabilitation, struggling with her parents' divorce. She came on her own, not wanting us to talk to her mom and dad, and later returned to thank us, - recalls Bela KAPAROVA, the center's director. - Unfortunately, we do not have a culture of calling hotlines for consultation. Until people share their problems over the phone, they only report cases of violence. Most of the requests come from teenagers. But sometimes help is needed for children as young as one and a half years old after they witness domestic violence, scandals, and fights between parents. Among them are victims of sexual violence, but identifying this without harming the child is quite challenging.
Women also come for consultations regarding domestic violence, as do parents who feel that something is wrong with their child. For example, recently a father came to our center with a complaint: his daughter was out of control, skipping school, and being rude. After meeting with the teenager and her conversation with the psychologist, it turned out that the 13-year-old girl had become a victim of rape by acquaintances. We could not prove their guilt or make them face punishment. She did not return to the center - she moved to Bishkek.
INDIVIDUAL WORK
The center's staff works in collaboration with medical professionals, law enforcement agencies, and school psychologists - often, these services are the first to signal problems in families.
- Most often, we receive requests through the court, but there are cases when children come on their own, for example, with injuries. In such cases, we inform the police and the Department of Juvenile Affairs, assess the child's social status and living conditions, gather a commission, and provide psychological services to the victim, - explains the mechanism of the protection service Ulan IETPEKOV, head of the Karakol OPSD. - To prevent repeated incidents, the family is put on record, a child protection program is initiated, and an individual work plan with the family is developed, approved by the Ministry of Social Development. This is handed over to a social worker who provides the necessary social, legal, and medical services while monitoring their implementation. A visit to the child's residence is mandatory, where a meeting with parents and neighbors takes place to assess how the situation has changed. By gathering all the data, it can be determined whether the person seeking help needs any additional assistance.
HITS - MEANS LOVE?
The assertions "hits means loves" or "hits means she deserved it" have firmly entered our lives. A man who decides to punish with his fists or forces his spouse to fulfill marital duties by force is not condemned by society or law enforcement until the case either leads to the murder of the victim by an unrestrained abuser or the murder of the abuser by the victim. However, in many cases, women endure inhumane treatment for years - for the sake of their children. The "tyrant" loves to keep everything under control. For example, a man in a high social position may insist that his wife does not work while strictly controlling her expenses. And at any opportunity, he threatens that if she leaves him, he will take their child away. According to UNFPA statistics, 21% of men in regions and the capital prohibit their wives from working after marriage, making it impossible for them to earn a living. Victims come to report injuries or complain about their husbands and other relatives only when they cross all boundaries or their behavior threatens the children. But victims can expect guaranteed protection in any case.
- In Kyrgyzstan, any family affected by violence can obtain a protection order issued by the police within 24 hours after the violence, - says Kaparova. - It is issued for a period of 15 days, during which the abuser, if he resumes his old behavior, will bear full legal responsibility. The order may require the aggressor to pay for the treatment of inflicted injuries, and if it is a spouse, remind him of the possibility of divorce and division of property. If incidents of violence occur repeatedly, the next protection order, valid for 6 months, is issued by court decision.
The choice of whether to seek help from crisis centers and family and child support departments (OPSD) in their region remains with those facing domestic violence. But it is essential to remember that the next act of aggression could be the last for the victim: after all, impunity corrupts and eliminates all social barriers for the aggressor.