Gov't passes bill on fighting domestic violence; provisional protection order introduced

The Government passed on Thursday's meeting the bill on fighting domestic violence, introducing a provisional protection order that allows the police officer to take immediate action in order to protect the victim and banish the aggressor, Spokesperson of the Executive Nelu Barbu announced. 

"Two laws have been amended, besides the Law No.217/2003, we are also talking about the Law No.202/2002. Through this bill approved today by Romania's Government, a provisional protection order is basically regulated, an instrument that will allow the police officer to take some special measures, in a quick manner, so that the victims of domestic violence be protected as soon as possible. Through this provisional protection order, which is a document, an instrument, if you will, the respective police officer can also secure the victim's safety, in case the victim is in imminent danger, certainly, and to quickly banish the aggressor from the property," Nelu Barbu told a press conference held at the Victoria Palace. 

He explained that this provisional protection order is complementary to the protection order that already exists in the legislation since 2012, therefore "it comes to somehow help the enforcement of the protection order." 

The Executive's Spokesperson added that, basically, through this regulation "the police officer will have the right and obligation to go to the victim's residence, enter the property, even by using force, and to issue this provisional protection order through which he can immediately remove the aggressor, even if the aggressor is the owner of the property where the aggression occurred." 

He added that the law clearly establishes that the provisional protection order and the protection order will be monitored by the police officer, and non-observance of the measures ordered by the two instruments represents an offense. 

The Government Spokesperson mentioned that this normative act also regulates the professions of expert and technician in equal opportunities.

AGERPRES