Moscow: In Russia, giving one’s spouse a slap is nothing extraordinary for many people. This week, the Russian parliament is expected to take a step closer toward decriminalising it altogether. Battery is a criminal offense in Russia, but nearly 20 per cent of Russians openly say they think it is sometimes OK to hit a spouse or a child. In a bid to accommodate conservative voters, deputies in the lower house of parliament have given initial approval to a bill eliminating criminal liability for domestic violence that stops short of serious bodily harm or rape.
If the measure passes its second reading in the Duma on Wednesday, when the draft can be changed, approval in the third and final reading would be a foregone conclusion. From the Duma, it would proceed to the upper house, largely a rubber-stamp body, and then to President Vladimir Putin’s desk. Data on domestic violence in Russia are obscure, but Interior Ministry statistics show that 40 per cent of all violent crimes in Russia are committed in family surroundings.
In 2013, more than 9,000 women were reported to have been killed in incidents of domestic violence. The Moscow-based Anna Center foundation, which runs Russia’s only domestic violence hotline, received more than 5,000 calls last year. “Domestic violence is a system which makes it difficult for a woman to seek help,” Irina Matvienko, who runs the hotline, said, adding “It’s not a traditional value. It’s a crime.”
