What is happening in the justice system? Authorities and victims in the environment of domestic violence

Abstract

Aim: Although it was possible to sanction acts falling within the conceptual scope of domestic violence earlier as well, from 1 July 2013, the Hungarian Criminal Code contains an independent criminal offense covering a wide range of abusive behaviours committed against family members. This article presents the essence of the regulation, the statistical data of the past few years, as well as the difficulties and best practices that we can encounter when analysing the application of the law. It’s the summary of the judicial practice of the criminal offense of domestic violence.

Methodology: The research methodology behind the study consisted of criminal-statistical and legislative analysis, focus groups, in-depth interviews and case file reviews.

Findings: A number of to-dos are being formulated for the future, including: conducting a follow-up analysis, establishing uniform legal practice, popularizing the relevant instruction of the chief of police, increasing the responsibility of the child protection alert system, organizing targeted trainings, strengthening professional collaborations and providing information for victims, inspiring the imposition of more severe punishments, and a change in communication directions. This study presents the most typical difficulties from the side of the authorities and the victims.

Value: The analysis of the criminal offense from many aspects helps to draw conclusions and find the directions to follow.