Victims of domestic violence are now receiving more support from police officers and victim support services, but they still lack vital information regarding criminal proceedings, access to legal aid and protection for themselves and their children from threats and retaliation.

These trends were revealed in the study titled "The Victims' Rights Directive: a New Approach to Victims of Domestic Violence," carried out by the Human Rights Monitoring Institute, the Law Institute of Lithuania and the Centre for Equality Advancement.

Officers sometimes blame victims

The real scale of domestic violence became apparent after the passage of the Law on Protection Against Domestic Violence in 2011. With over 20 thousand reports and 10 thousand people officially classified as victims, domestic violence in 2013 made up more than 10 percent of the overall crime in the country.

"Quite a few victims were sufficiently positive about the way officers dealt with them, but there were some cases where, in the end, they received no real help," claimed Vilana Pilinkaitė-Sotirovič, an expert from the Centre for Equality Advancement. "According to one victim, the first time she had to deal with the police, she could feel the investigator's support and understanding, however, the second time, with another investigator, she only wanted to - in her own words - run away, cry and scream because she was blamed and treated with cynicism."

Lack of clear regulations

The policemen, prosecutors and judges interviewed in the study noted that protective measures are still not regulated clearly. Some drew attention to the fact that victims lack support throughout criminal proceedings, such as the legal representation of their interests, specialist help or even moral support.

Victims of domestic violence receive support - in the form of information, consultation, psychological, legal and other assistance - from specialized assistance centers. Their workers noted that there still are many problems related to the protection victims from repeat violence and the provision of information regarding the conduct of criminal proceedings.

The Victims' Rights Directive

"The proper implementation of the Victims' Rights Directive in Lithuania could help to more effectively defend the rights of both victims of domestic violence and victims of crime," said HRMI representative Mėta Adutavičiūtė when the study was being presented. "The directive seeks to ensure that institutions focus not only on the perpetrator and how to bring him to justice, but also on the victim."

The Victims' Rights Directive, adopted in 2012, seeks to harmonize the standards of protection for the rights of victims of crime across the European Union. Member states have until November 2015 to transpose it into national law.