Real support for victims of violence. New programme by Ordo Iuris.

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People experiencing domestic violence do not always receive adequate support from the institutions which have been established for that very purpose. That is why the Ordo Iuris Institute has launched a Precedent Case Programme for victims of violence, and with it, the stopprzemocy.org website. Among other things, the website features information on how to obtain support, and an interactive map of violence prevention centres. The Institute has also prepared a handbook on that matter.

It is most often the case that the victims of violence are women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. However, men also experience violence. 73% of cases concern women (14% men, and 13% minors, regardless of sex). Police figures show that, among domestic violence cases, psychological violence is dealt with most often, with over 81,000 individuals having fell victim to it in 2020. Around 57,000 people experienced physical violence. Alcohol abuse is a considerable problem in this respect. Over 70% of police interventions last year saw the perpetrators of domestic violence under the influence of alcohol.

Given the scale of this issue, the Ordo Iuris Institute has launched the Precedent Case Programme, part of which is the stopprzemocy.org website. The site provides basic information on domestic violence, its fundamental causes, and suggestions on how victims may defend themselves against it. It also features an interactive map of social and public institutions where victims of domestic violence may get support, along with contact details. Furthermore, visitors who suspect they might have fell victim to domestic violence (as that might not always be obvious for them) may avail themselves of a survey to determine whether they actually suffered violence and to see what steps they may take.

“Stop przemocy. Poradnik dla ofiar przemocy domowej,” the Institute’s practical handbook, is the most significant element of the website. It lists the support measures available for victims of domestic violence, with emphasis placed on legal instruments. It describes the mechanisms used in cases of violence not qualified as crime: the “Blue Card” police procedure, injunctions compelling violence perpetrators to leave residential premises, and proceedings before family courts. The handbook also contains details on the steps that may be taken with respect to cases of violence qualified as crime, together with template pleadings filed in such situations.

The programme, which aims at actually combatting violence, is a response to the ideological violence prevention methods. The Istanbul Convention, drafted in the spirit of gender ideology, views natural gender roles within the society as sources of violence, disregarding the actual reasons for domestic violence, confirmed by research, such as addiction, family breakdown, and sexualisation of women in the media.

The programme was inaugurated during press conferences in five Polish cities (Warszawa, Poznań, Gdańsk, Lublin, and Katowice), where Ordo Iuris has for years been engaging in successful efforts. The programme addresses the needs of those which have not received adequate support from the institutions that have been established for that very purpose. Everyone who turns to Ordo Iuris will obtain relevant assistance from the lawyers at the Ordo Iuris Process Intervention Centre.

“Thanks to the experience we have gained through several thousand process interventions, and the Institute’s academic practice, we managed to prepare effective solutions which reject all ideological elements. These solutions most of all focus on women as predominant victims of domestic violence, though they also account for those victims who are seldom talked about – the elderly, who suffer from negligence that constitutes violence more often – as well as people with disabilities, and children,” said mec. Jerzy Kwaśniewski, President of the Ordo Iuris Insititute.