Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Keyword "education": Approaches to the prevention and counteraction of domestic violence

On November 10, 2023, the first roundtable discussion was held as part of the PROTECT project, implemented by the Chamber of Investigators in Bulgaria and the Research and Training Point Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Oslo. The roundtable brought together over 35 participants from non-governmental organizations, researchers, university lecturers, social workers, prosecutors, and investigators.

The presentations and discussions focused on the participation of Roma women and non-governmental organizations in implementing initiatives to prevent domestic violence; legal, cultural, and social challenges to accessing protection services for Roma women facing domestic violence; the need for close collaboration between law enforcement and judicial institutions and civil society in the process. 

Dr. Rada Stamenkova, BASP, and Radostina Chaprazova, ARETE, shared cases and lessons learned from their extensive practice and conveyed crucial messages about working with and within Roma communities: for equality and nondiscrimination and the necessity of building trust between Roma communities and institutional representatives. According to the speakers, it is particularly important to work towards understanding and, consequently, dismantling the framework of overwhelmingly negative stereotypes and prejudices that shape society's attitude toward the Roma, contributing to their isolation and segregation, hindering dialogue, and leading to an ineffective "non-interference policy," according to Dr. Stamenkova.


According to Alexander Rafailov, an educational mediator at 37th School "Raina Knyaginya" in Sofia, education and working with students and their parents are key moments in understanding the social, cultural, and economic factors and prerequisites for various forms of violence. Prosecutor Kalin Vladimirov, Sofia District Prosecutor's Office, discussed various aspects of the legislative framework related to domestic violence, focusing on cooperation between institutions in the process of investigation and victim protection.

Event participants emphasized the need for systematic efforts to communicate both among all organizations and institutions responsible for the prevention and counteraction of domestic violence and for creating conditions for adequate care (legal, medical, psychological, financial, etc.) for the victims of the crime.

The second event on the project is scheduled for November 28, 2023, where health mediators, psychologists, and criminologists will share their ideas and experiences. Follow our Facebook page and the project website for additional information and resources on the topic.