Deputy Minister Levan Izoria, US Ambassador Richard Norland and Rector of MIA Academy Nukri Gelashsvili officially opened the seminar –“Indirect Interrogation of Victims and Witnesses and Interrogation of Suspects of Domestic Violence”. The ceremony was also attended by Tracy Newel, the head of the US Embassy’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-enforcement Affairs office (INL), Senior Advisor in Police Affairs- Michael Turner and Advisor in Police Matters- Michael Willson as well as representatives of US Embassy, MIA Academy, Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Corrections and Investigative Unit of the Ministry of Finances. The Seminar was initiated by US Embassy’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-enforcement Affairs Office (INL).
The goal of the seminar is to improve Georgian investigators skills in eliciting information from victims/witnesses and suspects of domestic violence in order to make efforts of law enforcers more efficient in the fight and elimination of domestic violence. The mentioned seminar is being held for the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Corrections and Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Finances.
According to the Deputy Minister Levan Izoria it is important to organize seminar along with Western partners on boosting qualification for police officers regarding prevention of domestic violence.
US Ambassador Richard Norland stated that US government supports effective steps taken to fight and eliminate gender violence world-wide and noted that the mentioned seminar is one of those activities which is held within the frames of supporting the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence worldwide campaign.
MIA personnel are trained on the regular basis on the subject of domestic violence with participation of US government, international and non-governmental organizations and public defender’s office.
In 2014 district inspectors in all regions of Georgia were trained on the subject of domestic violence which lasted for several months. In November of the current year all patrol-inspectors operating in the capital, have undergone trainings at MIA Academy on “Identifying problem of communication with offender, witness and victim and making legally correct resolution”.
It is notable that under the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a number of legislative initiatives were prepared. Trainings for boosting qualification of police officers, with the aim of preventing domestic violence, will continue in the future.
Special commission, which was created at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, coordinates those policemen who have to operate with the view of preventive goals, which implies making effective response against the offender, issuing of the restraining order.
It is also worth mentioning that last week Deputy Minister Levan Izoria presented draft of National Strategy for Prevention of Violence which covered all directions of violence prevention, especially topical for the society: relevant prevention mechanisms of domestic violence, violence in streets and schools.
Document contains detailed discussion of core problems of violence, its causes and prevention mechanisms. Strategy is the expression of the State’s readiness- to face challenges existing in contemporary society and to make prevention of violence with involvement of various public institutions.
