Kiri

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From: SZELEZNIAK Joanna <[email protected]> On Behalf Of conventionviolence
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 5:30 PM
To: Anne Kruusement <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]; NELLES Johanna <[email protected]>; SARIAYDIN Elif <[email protected]>
Subject: First thematic questionnaire by GREVIO - deadline 16 May 2025

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear Ms Kruusement,

Please find here enclosed a letter addressed to your authorities by Ms Johanna NELLES, Executive Secretary of the monitoring mechanism of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

We would be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this email.

Best regards,

Council of Europe - Conseil de l'Europe

Joanna Szelezniak
Administrative Assistant – assistante administrative

Violence against Women Division – Division Violence à l'égard des femmes

Secretariat of the Istanbul Convention monitoring mechanism – Secrétariat du mécanisme de suivi de la Convention d'Istanbul
Council of Europe - Conseil de l'Europe

+ 33 (0) 3 90 21 58 47
https://www.coe.int
https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/home
[email protected]

First Thematic Evaluation Questionnaire final version.docx

Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO)

Questionnaire for the evaluation of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence by the Parties
1st thematic evaluation round: Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice

Adopted by GREVIO on 13 October 2022
GREVIO/Inf(2022)31

Table of contents
Introduction 3
Part I: Changes in comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection in the area of violence against women and domestic violence 4
Article 7: Comprehensive and co-ordinated policies 4
Article 8: Funding 4
Article 11: Data collection and research 4
Part II: Information on the implementation of selected provisions in priority areas in the field of prevention, protection and prosecution 6
Article 12: General obligations 6
Article 14: Education 6
Article 15: Training of professionals 6
Article 16: Preventive intervention and treatment programmes 6
Article 18: General obligations 7
Article 20: General support services 7
Article 22: Specialist support services 8
Article 25: Support to victims of sexual violence 9
Article 31: Custody, visitation rights and safety 9
Article 48: Prohibition of mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes or sentencing
. 10
Articles 49 and 50: General obligations and immediate response, prevention and protection 11
Article 51: Risk assessment and risk management 12
Article 52: Emergency barring orders 12
Article 53: Restraining or protection orders 13
Article 56: Measures of protection 13
Part III: Emerging trends on violence against women and domestic violence 14
Part IV: Administrative data and statistics 15
APPENDIX 16
Introduction
In accordance with Article 66, paragraph 1, the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) shall monitor the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Following its baseline evaluation procedure which provided an overview of the implementation of the full spectrum of provisions of the convention by each state party, Article 68, paragraph 3, of the convention and Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure of GREVIO (the Rules of Procedure) mandate GREVIO to carry out subsequent evaluation procedures divided into rounds. At the beginning of each round, GREVIO shall select the specific provisions on which the evaluation procedure shall be based and shall send out a questionnaire (Rule 31 of the Rules of Procedure).
For its 1st thematic evaluation round, GREVIO adopted this questionnaire to be sent to all states parties which have undergone the baseline evaluation procedure, according to an order approved by GREVIO. States parties are requested to transmit to GREVIO a reply to this questionnaire within five months from the date it was sent.

GREVIO decided to focus its 1st thematic evaluation round on the theme of building trust by delivering support, protection and justice. To address this overarching theme, the present questionnaire aims, in its first section, to identify developments in key areas such as comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection that have ensued following the completion of the baseline evaluation procedure. In its second section, it sets to obtain more in-depth information on the implementation of selected provisions in the area of prevention, protection and prosecution, in respect of which baseline evaluation procedures and the Conclusions on the Recommendations of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention have revealed significant challenges and the need for further sustained implementation. In its third section, it brings its attention to emerging trends in the area of violence against women and domestic violence. Its fourth and last section requests annual statistics for two complete calendar years prior to receiving this questionnaire on specific administrative and judicial data.

The reply to the questionnaire should be submitted in one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English and French) and should contain all the relevant information on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention since GREVIO’s first baseline evaluation report, including copies or extracts of relevant legislation, regulations, case law and strategic documents or action plans referred to (Rule 33 of the Rules of Procedure).
Part I: Changes in comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection in the area of violence against women and domestic violence
Article 7: Comprehensive and co-ordinated policies
1. Please provide information on any new policy development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country to ensure comprehensive policies covering the areas of prevention, protection, and prosecution in relation to stalking, sexual harassment and domestic violence, including their digital dimension, rape and sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced abortion and forced sterilisation, thereby demonstrating further implementation of the convention. Please specify the measures taken particularly in relation to those forms of violence against women that have not been addressed in past policies, programmes and services encompassing the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention.

2. Where relevant, please provide information on any measures taken to ensure the alignment of any definitions of domestic violence and of violence against women in national legislation or policy documents with those set out under Article 3 of the Istanbul Convention and provide the relevant applicable provisions in English or French.
3. Please provide information on how your authorities ensure that policies on violence against women and domestic violence put women’s rights and their empowerment at the centre and on any measure taken to enhance the intersectionality of such policies, in line with Articles 4 paragraph 3 of the convention. 1

Article 8: Funding
4. Please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country concerning the allocation of appropriate and sustainable financial and human resources for the implementation of integrated policies, measures and programmes to prevent and combat all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention.
5. Please provide information on any development concerning the provision of appropriate and sustainable financial and human resources for women’s rights organisations that provide specialist support services to victims, including those supporting migrant women and girls.
Article 11: Data collection and research
6. Please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country on the introduction of data collection categories such as type of violence, sex and age of the victim and the perpetrator, the relationship between the two and where it took place, for administrative data of relevance to the field of

1 The concept of intersectionality refers to the fact that “individuals (and groups) are affected by multiple inequalities based on various grounds of distinction rather than by discrimination based on one ground at a time. Therefore, discrimination, inequality and gender-based violence cannot be examined in relation to only one category of difference – for instance, gender – while precluding others – such as race, class, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity – because social categories intersect and interlock in multiple systems of discrimination that simultaneously affect an individual’s life.” See in this respect the study Ensuring the Non-discriminatory Implementation of Measures against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence: Article 4, paragraph 3, of the Istanbul Convention, A collection of papers on the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, p.12-13.

violence against women and domestic violence emanating from law enforcement agencies, the justice sector, social services and the public health care sector.
7. Where relevant, please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country to enable disaggregated data collection:

a. on the number of emergency barring and protection orders and the number of breaches and the resulting sanctions;
b. on the number of times custody decisions have resulted in the restriction and withdrawal of parental rights because of violence perpetrated by one parent against the other.
8. Please provide information on measures taken to allow cases of violence against women and domestic violence to be tracked from reporting to conviction, at all stages of the law-enforcement and judicial proceedings.
Part II: Information on the implementation of selected provisions in priority areas in the field of prevention, protection and prosecution
Article 12: General obligations
9. Please provide information on any primary prevention measures aiming to change mentalities and attitudes in relation to violence against women and to reduce women’s exposure to gender-based violence by:

a. addressing harmful gender stereotypes and prejudices, customs and traditions based on the idea of the inferiority of women;
b. addressing the heightened exposure to gender-based violence by women and girls at risk of intersectional discrimination;
c. encouraging all members of society, including men and boys, to contribute actively to preventing all forms of violence against women covered by the scope of the Istanbul Convention, and promoting the empowerment of women and girls in all areas of life, notably their participation in politics at all levels and in the labour market.

Article 14: Education
10. Please provide a few examples of promising teaching or prevention programmes, materials, or initiatives for use in formal education (from pre-school to higher education) that:

a. educate children and youth about equality between women and men, the right to personal integrity, mutual respect and non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships, including the notion of freely given consent;
b. address some or all the forms of gender-based violence against women and girls covered by the Istanbul Convention;
c. promote the inclusion of digital literacy and online safety in formal curricula as foreseen under GREVIO General Recommendation No. 1 on the digital dimension of violence against women;
d. ensure that teaching material used in school does not convey negative gender stereotypes of women and men of all ages;
e. offer tailored interventions aimed at preventing gender-based violence and empowering all girls, including those at risk of intersectional discrimination.

Article 15: Training of professionals
11. Please complete tables I and II included in the Appendix in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the professional groups that receive initial and in-service training on the different forms of violence against women and domestic violence. Please specify the frequency and scope of the training and whether it is compulsory.

12. Please specify if the expertise of women’s rights organisations or specialist support services is integrated in the design and/or implementation of the training.

Article 16: Preventive intervention and treatment programmes
13. Please provide information on measures taken to increase the number of available preventive intervention and treatment programmes for perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence both for voluntary and mandatory attendance.

14. Please provide information on measures taken to:

a. increase the number of men and boys attending perpetrator programmes for domestic and sexual violence;
b. ensure that the perpetrator programmes apply standards of best practice;
c. ensure the safety of victims and co-operation with specialist support services for victims;
d. ensure that the outcomes of the programmes are monitored and evaluated.

Article 18: General obligations
15. Please provide information on any multi-agency co-operation mechanisms, structures or measures in place designed to protect and support victims of any of the forms of gender-based violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention (e.g., interdisciplinary working groups, case-management systems, cross-sectoral protocols/ guidelines…). Please describe:

a. the state agencies involved in their functioning (law-enforcement agencies, judiciary, public prosecutor, local authorities, healthcare services, social services, educational institutions etc.);
b. whether they involve specialist support services provided by civil society organisations, especially women’s rights organisations;
c. how they adopt a gender-sensitive approach to violence against women, including the prioritisation of the safety of women and girl victims, their empowerment and a victim-centred approach;
d. the financial and human resources dedicated to their implementation; and
e. any available information on the evaluation of their outcome or impact.

16. Please detail whether any such co-operation mechanisms or structures set up for the delivery of support services for a specific form of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention is based on a legal or policy document advocating for or requiring such approaches.

17. Please explain whether all or some of the services of protection and support offered for victims of the different forms of violence against women are provided on the basis of a one-stop-shop approach.

Article 20: General support services
18. Please provide information on programmes and measures aimed at ensuring, through general services, the recovery of victims of violence, including in the health and social areas, financial assistance, education, training and assistance in finding employment and affordable and permanent housing.

Questions specific to the public health sector:

19. Have specific measures been taken to ensure that public health services (hospitals, health centres, other) respond to the safety and medical needs of women and girls victims of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention on the basis of national/regional standardised protocols?

20. Do such protocols detail the procedure to:

a. identify victims through screening;
b. provide treatment for all the medical needs of victims in a supportive manner;
c. collect forensic evidence and documentation;
d. ensure that a clear message of support is conveyed to the victim;
e. refer to the appropriate specialist support services that form part of a multi-agency co-operation structure; and
f. identify children who may have been exposed to domestic violence or other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls and require further support.

21. Please provide information on the procedures in place for the documentation and collection by actors of the public health sector of forensic evidence in relation to victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual violence, including rape, and victims of female genital mutilation.

22. Are all women victims of violence, irrespective of any of the grounds listed in Article 4 paragraph 3 of the Istanbul Convention, in particular asylum-seeking women, refugee women, migrant women, women from national or ethnic minorities, women with irregular residence status, women with disabilities and LBTI women, able to benefit on an equal footing from existing healthcare services? Please describe any measure taken to reduce legal or practical barriers to their accessing regular healthcare services.

23. Please provide information on the measures in place to facilitate the identification and care of victims of violence against women in institutions for persons with disabilities and for the elderly as well as for those in closed reception facilities for asylum-seekers and to respond to their safety and protection needs.

24. Please provide information on how the authorities ensure that different groups of women and girls, inter alia women with disabilities, Roma women and other women belonging to national or ethnic minorities, migrant women and intersex persons are fully informed, understand and freely give their consent to procedures such as sterilisation and abortion.

Article 22: Specialist support services
25. Please describe the type of specialist support services dedicated to women victims of the forms of gender-based violence covered by the Istanbul Convention (e.g., stalking, sexual harassment and domestic violence, including their digital dimension, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced sterilisation, forced abortion), including those specialist support services providing:
a. shelters and/or other forms of safe accommodation
b. medical support
c. short- and long-term psychological counselling
d. trauma care
e. legal counselling
f. outreach services
g. telephone helpline
h. other forms of support (e.g. socio-economic empowerment programmes, online assistance platforms etc.)

26. Which type of specialist support service includes child psychologists or other professionals specialised in supporting children who have been exposed to domestic violence, including violence perpetrated by one parent against the other?

27. Do specialist support services exist that cater to the specific needs of migrant women and girls or those belonging to national or ethnic minorities who are victims of violence against women, including women and girls seeking asylum and those granted refugee or international protection status?

Article 25: Support to victims of sexual violence
28. Please indicate if any of the below services are available in your territory:

a. sexual violence referral centres (e.g. specialist support services offering immediate medical care, forensic examination and crisis intervention to victims of sexual violence);
b. rape crisis centres (e.g. specialist support services offering long-term counselling, therapy and support to victims of sexual violence regardless of whether the sexual violence occurred recently or in the past);
c. any other specialised services offering short-term and/or long-term medical, forensic and psycho-social support to victims of sexual violence.
29. Please provide information on the number of such services and the number of women and girls supported annually.
30. Please indicate the procedures and time frames for collecting and storing forensic evidence in cases of sexual violence (e.g. existence of protocols, use of rape kits) in the relevant services.

31. Please describe any applicable access criteria for use of these services (e.g. affiliation with a national health insurance, residence status, prior reporting of the case to the police, other).

Article 31: Custody, visitation rights and safety
32. Please indicate whether under national law incidents of violence covered under the scope of the convention must be taken into account in the determination of custody and visitation rights of children. If this is the case, please clarify to what extent these provisions:

a. explicitly list domestic violence as a criterion to be taken into account when deciding on custody and/or visitation rights in the applicable legislation. If so, please clarify whether this criterion is/has been applied in practice in the determination of both custody and visitation rights;
b. acknowledge the harm that witnessing violence by one parent against the other has on a child;
c. ensure that custody with the non-violent parent is preferred over foster-care;
d. foresee the screening of civil proceedings related to the determination of custody or visitation rights for a history of domestic violence among the parties;
e. foresee that judges conduct risk assessments or request the disclosure of risk assessments drawn up by law-enforcement agencies or other competent stakeholders for victims of domestic violence, with a view to taking them into account and determining the best interest of the child in the context of custody and visitation decisions.

33. Please describe the measures in place to ensure that judges, court‑appointed experts and other legal professionals:

a. have sufficient knowledge of the law and understanding of the dynamics of intimate partner violence, including the psychological impact of witnessing violence on the child;
b. duly take into account victims’ grievances in cases of domestic violence and hear children victims/witnesses, where applicable, in the determination of custody and visitation rights;
c. are informed of the unfoundedness of notions of “parental alienation”2 or analogous concepts that are used to overshadow the violence and control exerted by perpetrators of domestic violence over women and their children.
34. Please provide details on the procedures in place to ensure that the competent court for family-related issues co-operate/communicate with other relevant bodies/professionals, including, but not limited to, criminal courts, law‑enforcement agencies, health and education authorities and specialist women’s support services when taking decisions on custody and visitation or when offering family law mediation. Please specify whether the law provides a legal framework for any of the procedures in place.

35. Please provide detailed information on the procedures in place (including, if applicable, the relevant personnel used, the specific infrastructure available), in the exercise of custody and visitation rights, to:

a. eliminate the risk for the abused parent to be subjected to further violence;
b. eliminate the risk for the child to witness or experience violence;
c. ensure that the responsible personnel are trained and that the facilities are suited to enable safe supervised visitation.

36. Please indicate whether national provisions foresee the withdrawal of parental rights in criminal sentences if the best interest of the child, which may include the safety of the victim, cannot be guaranteed in any other way.

Article 48: Prohibition of mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes or sentencing
Criminal law:

37. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure that mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes are prohibited in criminal proceedings related to cases involving the different forms of violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention.

2 In its baseline evaluation reports GREVIO has consistently referred to the statement of December 2017 by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), which draws attention to the fact that the concepts of “parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) and “parental alienation” (PA) are unsuitable for use in any psychotherapeutic practice. This statement by the EAP, which is made up of 128 psychotherapy organisations from 41 European countries, acts as a guiding principle for European psychotherapists. Moreover, in February 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) published its new draft International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) and confirmed that it had removed parental alienation from index term in the final ICD-11. See also the Platform of Independent Expert Mechanisms on Discrimination and Violence against Women (EDVAW Platform) statement of May 2019 “Intimate partner violence against women is an essential factor in the determination of child custody, say women’s rights experts”.

38. Where voluntary alternative dispute resolution processes exist for any criminal offences within the remit of the Istanbul Convention, such as conciliation or mediation, please provide information on the safeguards incorporated to ensure the free and informed consent of the victim to such processes and the measures taken to avoid that direct or indirect pressure is placed on the victim. Please also state whether the offer of alternative dispute resolution processes may result in the discontinuation of criminal investigation and prosecution or other consequences for the victim.
Civil law:

39. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure that alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation or procedures which can be considered tantamount to the latter are not used in family law proceedings such as divorce proceedings or proceedings related to custody and visitation of children, where there is a history of violence.

Articles 49 and 50: General obligations and immediate response, prevention and protection
40. Please describe the human, financial and technical resources provided to law enforcement agencies to diligently respond to and investigate all cases of violence against women, including their digital dimension.
41. Which measures have been taken to ensure that the premises of police stations are accessible and suitable for receiving and interviewing victims of violence while ensuring their privacy? Is it possible to report cases of violence against women elsewhere than in police stations, including through digital means?

42. Please explain whether specialist police/prosecution units exist to investigate and prosecute violence against women and specify:

a. which forms of violence against women they are competent for;
b. whether such units exist in all police/prosecution districts throughout the country.
43. Please describe any measures taken to ensure swift investigation into and effective prosecution of cases of violence against women and domestic violence such as prioritisation through fast-tracking, benchmarking or other initiatives, without compromising the thoroughness of the investigation.

44. Are any measures taken to encourage women and girls who experience any of the forms of violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention to report incidents of violence to the authorities? Please provide examples of any measures taken to instill confidence in law-enforcement officials, including those aimed at addressing any language or procedural difficulties they encounter when lodging complaints, in particular those of migrant women, asylum-seeking women, women with disabilities, women with addiction issues and other women and girls at risk of intersectional discrimination.

45. Please indicate whether protocols/standard operating procedures or guidelines for police officers are in place providing guidance on how to receive reports, interview victims, investigate and collect evidence in cases of rape and sexual violence, domestic violence, psychological violence, stalking, sexual harassment (including their online manifestation), forced marriage, female genital mutilation and forced sterilisation/abortion. Please provide information on how the authorities ensure the comprehensive collection of evidence beyond the victim’s testimony.

46. Please describe the efforts taken to identify and address all factors that contribute to attrition (the process whereby cases drop out of the criminal justice system) in cases of violence against women and domestic violence.

47. Please indicate if legislative or other measures have been taken to issue a renewable residence permit to migrant women who have become a victim of any of the forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention if the competent authority considers that their stay is necessary for the purpose of their co-operation in investigation or criminal proceedings.3

Article 51: Risk assessment and risk management

48. Please describe any standardised and mandatory risk assessment tools in use by all relevant authorities in all regions for forms of violence against women such as stalking, violence committed in the name of so-called honour and domestic violence and to what extent these tools are being used in practice to assess the lethality risk, the seriousness of the situation and the risk of repeated violence with a view to preventing further violence. Please specify whether the following elements are considered as red flags when carrying out the risk assessment:

a. the possession of or access to firearms by the perpetrator;
b. the filing for separation/divorce by the victim or the break-up of the relationship;
c. pregnancy;
d. previous acts of violence;
e. the prior issue of a restrictive measure;
f. threats made by the perpetrator to take away common children;
g. acts of sexual violence;
h. threats to kill the victim and her children;
i. threat of suicide;
j. coercive and controlling behaviour.

49. Please specify how effective co-operation is ensured between the different statutory authorities and specialist women’s support services in making risk assessments and whether the risks identified are managed by law enforcement agencies on the basis of individual safety plans that include also the safety of the victim’s children.
50. Please describe the efforts made to analyse retrospectively all cases of gender-based killings of women, in the context of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women to identify the existence of possible systemic gaps in the institutional response of the authorities with the aim of preventing such acts in the future.

Article 52: Emergency barring orders
51. Have any legislative or other measures been taken to introduce and/or amend the legal framework governing emergency barring orders in order to align it with the requirements of Article 52? If yes, please specify whether:

a. emergency barring orders may remain in place until a victim can obtain a court- ordered protection order in order to ensure that gaps in the protection do not arise;
b. support and advice are made available to women victims of domestic violence in a pro-active manner by the authority competent to issue an emergency barring order;

3 This question refers to the obligation contained in Article 59, paragraph 3. State parties that have entered a reservation in respect of Article 59 may reply to this question but are not required to do so.

c. children are specifically included in contact bans issued under the emergency barring order;
d. any exceptions to contact bans are made and in which circumstances.

52. Please provide information on the measures taken to enforce emergency barring orders and on responses to any violations of such orders.

Article 53: Restraining or protection orders
53. Have any legislative or other measures been taken to introduce and/or amend the legal framework governing restraining and protection orders in order to align it with the requirements of Article 53? If yes, please specify whether:
a. restraining or protection orders are available – in the context of criminal proceedings and/or upon application from civil courts - to women victims of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention, including domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, violence related to so-called honour as well as digital manifestations of violence against women and girls;
b. children are specifically included in protection orders;
c. any exceptions to contact bans are made and, if so, in which circumstances these may be made.
54. Please provide information on the measures taken to enforce protection orders and on responses to any violations of such orders.

Article 56: Measures of protection
55. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure the following:

a. that the relevant agency informs the victim when the perpetrator escapes or is released temporarily, at least when they or their family might be in danger (paragraph 1 b);
b. the protection of the privacy and the image of the victim (paragraph 1 f);
c. the possibility for victims to testify in the courtroom without being present or at least without the presence of the alleged perpetrator, notably through the use of appropriate communication technologies, where available (paragraph 1 i);
d. the provision of appropriate support services for victims so that their rights and interests are duly presented and taken into account (paragraph 1 e).
Part III: Emerging trends on violence against women and domestic violence
56. Please provide information on new developments since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country concerning:
a. emerging trends in violence against women and domestic violence, including its digital manifestations (types of perpetration, groups of victims, forms of violence);
b. emerging trends in domestic case law related to violence against women;
c. emerging trends in the allocation of funding and budgeting by your state authorities;
d. innovative approaches to primary prevention, for example new target audiences and means of communication, public/private partnerships etc.
e. emerging trends related to access to asylum and international protection for women victims of violence against women.
Part IV: Administrative data and statistics
57. Please provide annual statistics for two complete calendar years prior to receiving this questionnaire on administrative and judicial data on:

a. the number of reports, investigations opened, prosecutions, final convictions secured and sanctions imposed in respect of all forms of violence against women and domestic violence covered by the Istanbul Convention;
b. the number of emergency barring orders issued by the competent authorities, the number of breaches of such orders, and the number of sanctions imposed as a result of these breaches;
c. the number of protection orders issued, the number of breaches of such orders and the number of sanctions imposed as a result of such breaches;
d. data on the number of decisions issued by family courts on custody/visitation/residence of children that have expressly taken into account incidents of domestic violence.
APPENDIX

Table 1: Initial training (education or professional training)

Please fill in the table and list the professionals (in the area of healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, social welfare, education, asylum and migration, media/journalism and support services) which have received initial training on violence against women. Please place each category of professional in a separate line.

Professionals
Do they benefit from initial training on violence against women and domestic
violence?
Is this training mandatory?
Are training efforts supported by guidelines and
protocols?
Who funds the training?
Please describe the content and the duration of the training

Table 2: In-service training

Please fill in the table and list the professionals (in the area of healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, social welfare, education, asylum and migration, media/journalism and support services) which receive in-service training on violence against women. Please place each category of professional in a separate line.

Professionals
Number of professionals trained
Is this training mandatory?
Frequency
Training efforts supported by guidelines and protocols
Please describe the content and duration of the training

First Thematic Evaluation Questionnaire.pdf

Group of Experts on Action against Violence

against Women and Domestic Violence

(GREVIO)

_______________________________________

Questionnaire for the evaluation of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence by the Parties

1st thematic evaluation round: Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice

Adopted by GREVIO on 13 October 2022

GREVIO/Inf(2022)31

GREVIO/Inf(2022)31 2

Table of contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3

Part I: Changes in comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection in the area of violence against women and domestic violence ...................... 4

Article 7: Comprehensive and co-ordinated policies .......................................................... 4

Article 8: Funding .............................................................................................................. 4

Article 11: Data collection and research ............................................................................. 4

Part II: Information on the implementation of selected provisions in priority areas in the field of prevention, protection and prosecution ......................................................... 6

Article 12: General obligations ........................................................................................... 6

Article 14: Education .......................................................................................................... 6

Article 15: Training of professionals ................................................................................... 6

Article 16: Preventive intervention and treatment programmes .......................................... 6

Article 18: General obligations ........................................................................................... 7

Article 20: General support services .................................................................................. 7

Article 22: Specialist support services ............................................................................... 8

Article 25: Support to victims of sexual violence ................................................................ 9

Article 31: Custody, visitation rights and safety .................................................................. 9

Article 48: Prohibition of mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes or sentencing ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Articles 49 and 50: General obligations and immediate response, prevention and protection ........................................................................................................................ 11

Article 51: Risk assessment and risk management .......................................................... 12

Article 52: Emergency barring orders .............................................................................. 12

Article 53: Restraining or protection orders ...................................................................... 13

Article 56: Measures of protection ................................................................................... 13

Part III: Emerging trends on violence against women and domestic violence ............. 14

Part IV: Administrative data and statistics ...................................................................... 15

APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................... 16

3 GREVIO/Inf(2022)31

Introduction

In accordance with Article 66, paragraph 1, the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) shall monitor the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Following its baseline evaluation procedure which provided an overview of the implementation of the full spectrum of provisions of the convention by each state party, Article 68, paragraph 3, of the convention and Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure of GREVIO (the Rules of Procedure) mandate GREVIO to carry out subsequent evaluation procedures divided into rounds. At the beginning of each round, GREVIO shall select the specific provisions on which the evaluation procedure shall be based and shall send out a questionnaire (Rule 31 of the Rules of Procedure). For its 1st thematic evaluation round, GREVIO adopted this questionnaire to be sent to all states parties which have undergone the baseline evaluation procedure, according to an order approved by GREVIO. States parties are requested to transmit to GREVIO a reply to this questionnaire within five months from the date it was sent. GREVIO decided to focus its 1st thematic evaluation round on the theme of building trust by delivering support, protection and justice. To address this overarching theme, the present questionnaire aims, in its first section, to identify developments in key areas such as comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection that have ensued following the completion of the baseline evaluation procedure. In its second section, it sets to obtain more in-depth information on the implementation of selected provisions in the area of prevention, protection and prosecution, in respect of which baseline evaluation procedures and the Conclusions on the Recommendations of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention have revealed significant challenges and the need for further sustained implementation. In its third section, it brings its attention to emerging trends in the area of violence against women and domestic violence. Its fourth and last section requests annual statistics for two complete calendar years prior to receiving this questionnaire on specific administrative and judicial data. The reply to the questionnaire should be submitted in one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English and French) and should contain all the relevant information on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention since GREVIO’s first baseline evaluation report, including copies or extracts of relevant legislation, regulations, case law and strategic documents or action plans referred to (Rule 33 of the Rules of Procedure).

GREVIO/Inf(2022)31 4

Part I: Changes in comprehensive and co-ordinated policies, funding and data collection in the area of violence against women and domestic violence

Article 7: Comprehensive and co-ordinated policies

1. Please provide information on any new policy development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country to ensure comprehensive policies covering the areas of prevention, protection, and prosecution in relation to stalking, sexual harassment and domestic violence, including their digital dimension, rape and sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced abortion and forced sterilisation, thereby demonstrating further implementation of the convention. Please specify the measures taken particularly in relation to those forms of violence against women that have not been addressed in past policies, programmes and services encompassing the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention. 2. Where relevant, please provide information on any measures taken to ensure the alignment of any definitions of domestic violence and of violence against women in national legislation or policy documents with those set out under Article 3 of the Istanbul Convention and provide the relevant applicable provisions in English or French. 3. Please provide information on how your authorities ensure that policies on violence against women and domestic violence put women’s rights and their empowerment at the centre and on any measure taken to enhance the intersectionality of such policies, in line with Articles 4 paragraph 3 of the convention. 1

Article 8: Funding

4. Please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country concerning the allocation of appropriate and sustainable financial and human resources for the implementation of integrated policies, measures and programmes to prevent and combat all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention. 5. Please provide information on any development concerning the provision of appropriate and sustainable financial and human resources for women’s rights organisations that provide specialist support services to victims, including those supporting migrant women and girls.

Article 11: Data collection and research

6. Please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country on the introduction of data collection categories such as type of violence, sex and age of the victim and the perpetrator, the relationship between the two and where it took place, for administrative data of relevance to the field of

1 The concept of intersectionality refers to the fact that “individuals (and groups) are affected by multiple inequalities based on various grounds of distinction rather than by discrimination based on one ground at a time. Therefore, discrimination, inequality and gender-based violence cannot be examined in relation to only one category of difference – for instance, gender – while precluding others – such as race, class, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity – because social categories intersect and interlock in multiple systems of discrimination that simultaneously affect an individual’s life.” See in this respect the study Ensuring the Non-discriminatory Implementation of Measures against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence: Article 4, paragraph 3, of the Istanbul Convention, A collection of papers on the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, p.12-13.

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violence against women and domestic violence emanating from law enforcement agencies, the justice sector, social services and the public health care sector. 7. Where relevant, please provide information on any new development since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country to enable disaggregated data collection:

a. on the number of emergency barring and protection orders and the number of

breaches and the resulting sanctions; b. on the number of times custody decisions have resulted in the restriction and

withdrawal of parental rights because of violence perpetrated by one parent against the other.

8. Please provide information on measures taken to allow cases of violence against women and domestic violence to be tracked from reporting to conviction, at all stages of the law-enforcement and judicial proceedings.

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Part II: Information on the implementation of selected provisions in priority areas in the field of prevention, protection and prosecution

Article 12: General obligations 9. Please provide information on any primary prevention measures aiming to change mentalities and attitudes in relation to violence against women and to reduce women’s exposure to gender-based violence by:

a. addressing harmful gender stereotypes and prejudices, customs and traditions based on the idea of the inferiority of women;

b. addressing the heightened exposure to gender-based violence by women and girls at risk of intersectional discrimination;

c. encouraging all members of society, including men and boys, to contribute actively to preventing all forms of violence against women covered by the scope of the Istanbul Convention, and promoting the empowerment of women and girls in all areas of life, notably their participation in politics at all levels and in the labour market.

Article 14: Education 10. Please provide a few examples of promising teaching or prevention programmes, materials, or initiatives for use in formal education (from pre-school to higher education) that:

a. educate children and youth about equality between women and men, the right to

personal integrity, mutual respect and non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships, including the notion of freely given consent;

b. address some or all the forms of gender-based violence against women and girls covered by the Istanbul Convention;

c. promote the inclusion of digital literacy and online safety in formal curricula as foreseen under GREVIO General Recommendation No. 1 on the digital dimension of violence against women;

d. ensure that teaching material used in school does not convey negative gender stereotypes of women and men of all ages;

e. offer tailored interventions aimed at preventing gender-based violence and empowering all girls, including those at risk of intersectional discrimination.

Article 15: Training of professionals 11. Please complete tables I and II included in the Appendix in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the professional groups that receive initial and in-service training on the different forms of violence against women and domestic violence. Please specify the frequency and scope of the training and whether it is compulsory. 12. Please specify if the expertise of women’s rights organisations or specialist support services is integrated in the design and/or implementation of the training.

Article 16: Preventive intervention and treatment programmes 13. Please provide information on measures taken to increase the number of available preventive intervention and treatment programmes for perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence both for voluntary and mandatory attendance.

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14. Please provide information on measures taken to:

a. increase the number of men and boys attending perpetrator programmes for domestic and sexual violence;

b. ensure that the perpetrator programmes apply standards of best practice; c. ensure the safety of victims and co-operation with specialist support services

for victims; d. ensure that the outcomes of the programmes are monitored and evaluated.

Article 18: General obligations 15. Please provide information on any multi-agency co-operation mechanisms, structures or measures in place designed to protect and support victims of any of the forms of gender-based violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention (e.g., interdisciplinary working groups, case-management systems, cross-sectoral protocols/ guidelines…). Please describe:

a. the state agencies involved in their functioning (law-enforcement agencies, judiciary, public prosecutor, local authorities, healthcare services, social services, educational institutions etc.);

b. whether they involve specialist support services provided by civil society organisations, especially women’s rights organisations;

c. how they adopt a gender-sensitive approach to violence against women, including the prioritisation of the safety of women and girl victims, their empowerment and a victim-centred approach;

d. the financial and human resources dedicated to their implementation; and e. any available information on the evaluation of their outcome or impact.

16. Please detail whether any such co-operation mechanisms or structures set up for the delivery of support services for a specific form of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention is based on a legal or policy document advocating for or requiring such approaches.

17. Please explain whether all or some of the services of protection and support offered for victims of the different forms of violence against women are provided on the basis of a one-stop-shop approach.

Article 20: General support services 18. Please provide information on programmes and measures aimed at ensuring, through general services, the recovery of victims of violence, including in the health and social areas, financial assistance, education, training and assistance in finding employment and affordable and permanent housing.

Questions specific to the public health sector:

19. Have specific measures been taken to ensure that public health services (hospitals, health centres, other) respond to the safety and medical needs of women and girls victims of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention on the basis of national/regional standardised protocols?

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20. Do such protocols detail the procedure to:

a. identify victims through screening; b. provide treatment for all the medical needs of victims in a supportive manner; c. collect forensic evidence and documentation; d. ensure that a clear message of support is conveyed to the victim; e. refer to the appropriate specialist support services that form part of a

multi-agency co-operation structure; and f. identify children who may have been exposed to domestic violence or other

forms of gender-based violence against women and girls and require further support.

21. Please provide information on the procedures in place for the documentation and collection by actors of the public health sector of forensic evidence in relation to victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual violence, including rape, and victims of female genital mutilation. 22. Are all women victims of violence, irrespective of any of the grounds listed in Article 4 paragraph 3 of the Istanbul Convention, in particular asylum-seeking women, refugee women, migrant women, women from national or ethnic minorities, women with irregular residence status, women with disabilities and LBTI women, able to benefit on an equal footing from existing healthcare services? Please describe any measure taken to reduce legal or practical barriers to their accessing regular healthcare services. 23. Please provide information on the measures in place to facilitate the identification and care of victims of violence against women in institutions for persons with disabilities and for the elderly as well as for those in closed reception facilities for asylum-seekers and to respond to their safety and protection needs.

24. Please provide information on how the authorities ensure that different groups of women and girls, inter alia women with disabilities, Roma women and other women belonging to national or ethnic minorities, migrant women and intersex persons are fully informed, understand and freely give their consent to procedures such as sterilisation and abortion.

Article 22: Specialist support services 25. Please describe the type of specialist support services dedicated to women victims of the forms of gender-based violence covered by the Istanbul Convention (e.g., stalking, sexual harassment and domestic violence, including their digital dimension, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced sterilisation, forced abortion), including those specialist support services providing:

a. shelters and/or other forms of safe accommodation b. medical support c. short- and long-term psychological counselling d. trauma care e. legal counselling f. outreach services g. telephone helpline h. other forms of support (e.g. socio-economic empowerment programmes, online

assistance platforms etc.)

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26. Which type of specialist support service includes child psychologists or other professionals specialised in supporting children who have been exposed to domestic violence, including violence perpetrated by one parent against the other?

27. Do specialist support services exist that cater to the specific needs of migrant women and girls or those belonging to national or ethnic minorities who are victims of violence against women, including women and girls seeking asylum and those granted refugee or international protection status?

Article 25: Support to victims of sexual violence 28. Please indicate if any of the below services are available in your territory:

a. sexual violence referral centres (e.g. specialist support services offering immediate medical care, forensic examination and crisis intervention to victims of sexual violence);

b. rape crisis centres (e.g. specialist support services offering long-term counselling, therapy and support to victims of sexual violence regardless of whether the sexual violence occurred recently or in the past);

c. any other specialised services offering short-term and/or long-term medical, forensic and psycho-social support to victims of sexual violence.

29. Please provide information on the number of such services and the number of women and girls supported annually. 30. Please indicate the procedures and time frames for collecting and storing forensic evidence in cases of sexual violence (e.g. existence of protocols, use of rape kits) in the relevant services. 31. Please describe any applicable access criteria for use of these services (e.g. affiliation with a national health insurance, residence status, prior reporting of the case to the police, other).

Article 31: Custody, visitation rights and safety

32. Please indicate whether under national law incidents of violence covered under the scope of the convention must be taken into account in the determination of custody and visitation rights of children. If this is the case, please clarify to what extent these provisions:

a. explicitly list domestic violence as a criterion to be taken into account when deciding on custody and/or visitation rights in the applicable legislation. If so, please clarify whether this criterion is/has been applied in practice in the determination of both custody and visitation rights;

b. acknowledge the harm that witnessing violence by one parent against the other has on a child;

c. ensure that custody with the non-violent parent is preferred over foster-care; d. foresee the screening of civil proceedings related to the determination of custody

or visitation rights for a history of domestic violence among the parties; e. foresee that judges conduct risk assessments or request the disclosure of risk

assessments drawn up by law-enforcement agencies or other competent stakeholders for victims of domestic violence, with a view to taking them into account and determining the best interest of the child in the context of custody and visitation decisions.

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33. Please describe the measures in place to ensure that judges, court‑appointed experts and other legal professionals:

a. have sufficient knowledge of the law and understanding of the dynamics of intimate partner violence, including the psychological impact of witnessing violence on the child;

b. duly take into account victims’ grievances in cases of domestic violence and hear children victims/witnesses, where applicable, in the determination of custody and visitation rights;

c. are informed of the unfoundedness of notions of “parental alienation”2 or analogous concepts that are used to overshadow the violence and control exerted by perpetrators of domestic violence over women and their children.

34. Please provide details on the procedures in place to ensure that the competent court for family-related issues co-operate/communicate with other relevant bodies/professionals, including, but not limited to, criminal courts, law‑enforcement agencies, health and education authorities and specialist women’s support services when taking decisions on custody and visitation or when offering family law mediation. Please specify whether the law provides a legal framework for any of the procedures in place.

35. Please provide detailed information on the procedures in place (including, if applicable, the relevant personnel used, the specific infrastructure available), in the exercise of custody and visitation rights, to:

a. eliminate the risk for the abused parent to be subjected to further violence; b. eliminate the risk for the child to witness or experience violence; c. ensure that the responsible personnel are trained and that the facilities are suited

to enable safe supervised visitation.

36. Please indicate whether national provisions foresee the withdrawal of parental rights in criminal sentences if the best interest of the child, which may include the safety of the victim, cannot be guaranteed in any other way.

Article 48: Prohibition of mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes or sentencing

Criminal law:

37. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure that mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes are prohibited in criminal proceedings related to cases involving the different forms of violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention.

2 In its baseline evaluation reports GREVIO has consistently referred to the statement of December 2017 by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), which draws attention to the fact that the concepts of “parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) and “parental alienation” (PA) are unsuitable for use in any psychotherapeutic practice. This statement by the EAP, which is made up of 128 psychotherapy organisations from 41 European countries, acts as a guiding principle for European psychotherapists. Moreover, in February 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) published its new draft International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) and confirmed that it had removed parental alienation from index term in the final ICD-11. See also the Platform of Independent Expert Mechanisms on Discrimination and Violence against Women (EDVAW Platform) statement of May 2019 “Intimate partner violence against women is an essential factor in the determination of child custody, say women’s rights experts”.

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38. Where voluntary alternative dispute resolution processes exist for any criminal offences within the remit of the Istanbul Convention, such as conciliation or mediation, please provide information on the safeguards incorporated to ensure the free and informed consent of the victim to such processes and the measures taken to avoid that direct or indirect pressure is placed on the victim. Please also state whether the offer of alternative dispute resolution processes may result in the discontinuation of criminal investigation and prosecution or other consequences for the victim.

Civil law:

39. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure that alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation or procedures which can be considered tantamount to the latter are not used in family law proceedings such as divorce proceedings or proceedings related to custody and visitation of children, where there is a history of violence.

Articles 49 and 50: General obligations and immediate response, prevention and protection

40. Please describe the human, financial and technical resources provided to law enforcement agencies to diligently respond to and investigate all cases of violence against women, including their digital dimension. 41. Which measures have been taken to ensure that the premises of police stations are accessible and suitable for receiving and interviewing victims of violence while ensuring their privacy? Is it possible to report cases of violence against women elsewhere than in police stations, including through digital means?

42. Please explain whether specialist police/prosecution units exist to investigate and prosecute violence against women and specify:

a. which forms of violence against women they are competent for; b. whether such units exist in all police/prosecution districts throughout the

country.

43. Please describe any measures taken to ensure swift investigation into and effective prosecution of cases of violence against women and domestic violence such as prioritisation through fast-tracking, benchmarking or other initiatives, without compromising the thoroughness of the investigation.

44. Are any measures taken to encourage women and girls who experience any of the forms of violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention to report incidents of violence to the authorities? Please provide examples of any measures taken to instill confidence in law-enforcement officials, including those aimed at addressing any language or procedural difficulties they encounter when lodging complaints, in particular those of migrant women, asylum-seeking women, women with disabilities, women with addiction issues and other women and girls at risk of intersectional discrimination. 45. Please indicate whether protocols/standard operating procedures or guidelines for police officers are in place providing guidance on how to receive reports, interview victims, investigate and collect evidence in cases of rape and sexual violence, domestic violence, psychological violence, stalking, sexual harassment (including their online manifestation), forced marriage, female genital mutilation and forced sterilisation/abortion. Please provide information on how the authorities ensure the comprehensive collection of evidence beyond the victim’s testimony.

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46. Please describe the efforts taken to identify and address all factors that contribute to attrition (the process whereby cases drop out of the criminal justice system) in cases of violence against women and domestic violence. 47. Please indicate if legislative or other measures have been taken to issue a renewable residence permit to migrant women who have become a victim of any of the forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention if the competent authority considers that their stay is necessary for the purpose of their co-operation in investigation or criminal proceedings.3

Article 51: Risk assessment and risk management 48. Please describe any standardised and mandatory risk assessment tools in use by all relevant authorities in all regions for forms of violence against women such as stalking, violence committed in the name of so-called honour and domestic violence and to what extent these tools are being used in practice to assess the lethality risk, the seriousness of the situation and the risk of repeated violence with a view to preventing further violence. Please specify whether the following elements are considered as red flags when carrying out the risk assessment:

a. the possession of or access to firearms by the perpetrator; b. the filing for separation/divorce by the victim or the break-up of the relationship; c. pregnancy; d. previous acts of violence; e. the prior issue of a restrictive measure; f. threats made by the perpetrator to take away common children; g. acts of sexual violence; h. threats to kill the victim and her children; i. threat of suicide; j. coercive and controlling behaviour.

49. Please specify how effective co-operation is ensured between the different statutory authorities and specialist women’s support services in making risk assessments and whether the risks identified are managed by law enforcement agencies on the basis of individual safety plans that include also the safety of the victim’s children. 50. Please describe the efforts made to analyse retrospectively all cases of gender-based killings of women, in the context of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women to identify the existence of possible systemic gaps in the institutional response of the authorities with the aim of preventing such acts in the future.

Article 52: Emergency barring orders 51. Have any legislative or other measures been taken to introduce and/or amend the legal framework governing emergency barring orders in order to align it with the requirements of Article 52? If yes, please specify whether:

a. emergency barring orders may remain in place until a victim can obtain a court- ordered protection order in order to ensure that gaps in the protection do not arise;

b. support and advice are made available to women victims of domestic violence in a pro-active manner by the authority competent to issue an emergency barring order;

3 This question refers to the obligation contained in Article 59, paragraph 3. State parties that have entered a reservation in respect of Article 59 may reply to this question but are not required to do so.

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c. children are specifically included in contact bans issued under the emergency barring order;

d. any exceptions to contact bans are made and in which circumstances. 52. Please provide information on the measures taken to enforce emergency barring orders and on responses to any violations of such orders.

Article 53: Restraining or protection orders 53. Have any legislative or other measures been taken to introduce and/or amend the legal framework governing restraining and protection orders in order to align it with the requirements of Article 53? If yes, please specify whether:

a. restraining or protection orders are available – in the context of criminal proceedings and/or upon application from civil courts - to women victims of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention, including domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, violence related to so-called honour as well as digital manifestations of violence against women and girls;

b. children are specifically included in protection orders; c. any exceptions to contact bans are made and, if so, in which circumstances these

may be made. 54. Please provide information on the measures taken to enforce protection orders and on responses to any violations of such orders.

Article 56: Measures of protection 55. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure the following:

a. that the relevant agency informs the victim when the perpetrator escapes or is

released temporarily, at least when they or their family might be in danger (paragraph 1 b);

b. the protection of the privacy and the image of the victim (paragraph 1 f); c. the possibility for victims to testify in the courtroom without being present or at least

without the presence of the alleged perpetrator, notably through the use of appropriate communication technologies, where available (paragraph 1 i);

d. the provision of appropriate support services for victims so that their rights and interests are duly presented and taken into account (paragraph 1 e).

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Part III: Emerging trends on violence against women and domestic violence 56. Please provide information on new developments since the adoption of GREVIO’s baseline evaluation report on your country concerning:

a. emerging trends in violence against women and domestic violence, including its digital manifestations (types of perpetration, groups of victims, forms of violence);

b. emerging trends in domestic case law related to violence against women; c. emerging trends in the allocation of funding and budgeting by your state authorities; d. innovative approaches to primary prevention, for example new target audiences

and means of communication, public/private partnerships etc. e. emerging trends related to access to asylum and international protection for

women victims of violence against women.

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Part IV: Administrative data and statistics 57. Please provide annual statistics for two complete calendar years prior to receiving this questionnaire on administrative and judicial data on:

a. the number of reports, investigations opened, prosecutions, final convictions secured and sanctions imposed in respect of all forms of violence against women and domestic violence covered by the Istanbul Convention;

b. the number of emergency barring orders issued by the competent authorities, the number of breaches of such orders, and the number of sanctions imposed as a result of these breaches;

c. the number of protection orders issued, the number of breaches of such orders and the number of sanctions imposed as a result of such breaches;

d. data on the number of decisions issued by family courts on custody/visitation/residence of children that have expressly taken into account incidents of domestic violence.

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APPENDIX

Table 1: Initial training (education or professional training)

Please fill in the table and list the professionals (in the area of healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, social welfare, education, asylum and migration, media/journalism and support services) which have received initial training on violence against women. Please place each category of professional in a separate line.

Professionals Do they benefit from initial training on violence against women and domestic violence?

Is this training mandatory?

Are training efforts supported by guidelines and protocols?

Who funds the training?

Please describe the content and the duration of the training

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Table 2: In-service training

Please fill in the table and list the professionals (in the area of healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, social welfare, education, asylum and migration, media/journalism and support services) which receive in-service training on violence against women. Please place each category of professional in a separate line.

Professionals Number of professionals trained

Is this training mandatory?

Frequency

Training efforts supported by guidelines and protocols

Please describe the content and duration of the training

Letter to authorities about the thematic questionnaire ESTONIA.pdf

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN DIGNITY

DIRECTORATE OF EQUAL RIGHTS AND DIGNITY

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex www.coe.int Tel ► +33 (0)3 90 21 58 47

Mail ► [email protected] Site ► www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention

Ref ► DERD/HDGE/JN/ES Strasbourg, 16 December 2024

Subject: Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence

against Women and Domestic Violence: Launch of the first thematic evaluation round, questionnaire addressed to States parties: “Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice”

Dear Ms Kruusement, The Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and

Domestic Violence (GREVIO) adopted the questionnaire “Building trust by delivering

support, protection and justice”, in October 2022. This questionnaire will be used in the

GREVIO’s first thematic monitoring round, following the baseline evaluation procedure.

We enclose this questionnaire, with a deadline of five months to submit a consolidated report,

which should be received by the Secretariat by 16 May 2025 at the latest.

The reply to the questionnaire should be submitted in one of the two official languages of the

Council of Europe (English and French), and it should contain all the relevant information on

the implementation of the Istanbul Convention since GREVIO’s first baseline evaluation

report, including copies or extracts of relevant legislation, regulations, case law and strategic

documents or action plans referred to (Rule 33 of the Rules of Procedure).

As the designated contact person within your Government, please allow me to remind you

that your role consists, in particular, in distributing the questionnaire to the different bodies

concerned in your country, co-ordinating their replies, and submitting a consolidated version

to the Secretariat of GREVIO, at [email protected], by the abovementioned

deadline.

Ms Anne Kruusement Adviser Penal Law And Procedure Division Criminal Policy Department Tallinn Estonia

HUMAN DIGNITY AND GENDER EQUALITY DEPARTMENT

Monitoring mechanism of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

2 / 2

I remain at your disposal for any questions concerning the enclosed questionnaire. Please

note that you can also contact the desk officer responsible for Estonia, Ms Elif Sariaydin, on

+33 390 21 46 57, or by email [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Yours sincerely,

Johanna Nelles

Executive Secretary

Enc.: First thematic questionnaire “Building trust by delivering support, protection and

justice”

Cc: Ms Aino Leppik von Wirén, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,

Permanent Representative of Estonia to the Council of Europe

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