Family violence in Hungary

1.Facts and figures 2. Legal background and institutions 3. Practice, actual situation

Facts and figures • Purpose: to place the current situation in Hungary among other EU countries • Number of reported and estimated cases • Awareness – statistics (TÁRKI)

Facts and figures • Number of reported and presumed cases – Not easy to find data -Convicted against family, conjugal, youth, sexual ethics (KSH) -Between Jan 2001 and Sep 2003 (2,5 years) 287 reported sexual assault, out of which 161 minor (Daphne booklet 2005) -Number of reported cases to main crisis line: MFTotal

Facts and figures -Statics conducted by TARKI on occurance and awareness : -2/3 of the respondents think that parents have the right to slap/smack their children if s/he deserved it. -Raping in the family is a suppressed issue, people don’t speak about it -Almost 90% of the respondents think that if one of the partners abuse the other is a private matter -8% of the sample claimed that she was forced to have sexual relation with her husband or partnerAccording to Morvai’s estimates, in Hungary, about fifty women die every year

Legal background and institutions • Weak legal background • Laws and regulation against abusive conduct towards women (sexual, discrimination) and children apply • Concept of family violence in Hungary affects legal approach and consequently system of alternative forms of help • Rare social network

Legal background • in 1982 Hungary implemented the international agreement established in December 1979 in New York (CEDAW) • 13/2003 (III. 27) országos rendőr-főkapitányi intézkedés a családon belüli erőszak kezelésével és a kiskorúak védelmével kapcsolatos rendőri feladatok végrehajtására hozott rendelkezés. • A 45/2003 (IV.16) számú országgyűlési határozat a családon belüli erőszak megelőzésére és hatékony kezelésére irányuló nemzeti stratégia kialakításáról. • 115/2003 (X.28) OGY. hat. a társadalmi tudatformálás a családon belüli erőszak kérdésével kapcsolatban. • A büntető eljárásról szóló évi XIX. törvény módosításával az 59.§ „Távoltartás” alcímmel és 138/A.§- sal kiegészült, a 60.§ a 138/B.§-sal, 61.§ 139.§-a is kiegészült július 1-től hatályos.

Alternative institutions • After 1990, many organizations (mainly women’s NGOs) dealing with domestic violence, were established in Hungary. Their main achievements over the past decade include: • raising awareness • victim support • education • advocacy for changing laws and policy regarding violence against women • increase impact on the media

Alternative institutions • Againts family violence • Krizis telefon • Against violeance against women • NANE • others • Violence against children

Conclusion, criticism • Although proper legal treatment is already worked out, violence within the family is an indictable offence, the results show that legal authority and mainly the police cannot cope with the problem • The number of shelters in Hungary are far from adequate to meet the needs