The situation during the discussion of the project "On the Prevention  of Domestic Violence" went out of control: PO representatives  attacked David Harutyunyan

ArmInfo. The situation during discussion of the project "On the Prevention of Domestic Violence" came out of control: representatives of a number of public organizations in the literal sense attacked Justice Minister David Harutyunyan and the Ombudsman Armand Tatoyan.

The bill initially caused a great response in the Armenian society,  not so much because of its content or spheres of regulation, but  because of the fact that the interests of organizations fueled by  various geopolitical centers were encountered here. As you know, the  adoption of such a law is one of Armenia's obligations to European  structures and is actively lobbied by the European Union and the  Council of Europe. These and other structures and funds also finance  various public organizations to promote this bill in society. This  process was faced with a powerful confrontation on the part of other  organizations that have already received financial support from  Russian funds. It is noteworthy that to the latter of the purely  ideological and not mercenary considerations, various figures and  activists who zealously defended and preached at the level of  fanaticism the Armenian customs and traditions.

It is these activists, among them Khachik Stamboltsyan, who is widely  known to the Armenian community from the movement for the  independence of Karabakh, broke the current debate around the bill  and shouted and gesticulated literally, attacked the Minister of  Justice and the Ombudsman. of Armenian customs and  traditions accused officials of desecrating the Armenian family,  loosening its foundations, implementing other people's immoral  foundations. They also assured the minister that the law he was  lobbying would one day turn against him and his family when he -  Harutyunyan was no longer a minister.  Khachik Stamboltsyan even  threatened officials with the penalty of heaven and warned them that  Satan had come out against humanity. Representatives of the  protesting organizations accused the Armenian authorities of  indulging the interests of the West, trying to persuade them to  "abandon European finances and legislative acts", follow the Armenian  moral standards and traditions, return to their origins, because "the  Armenian honor can not be sold for dirty money." It is noteworthy  that all these parting words were done in sublime tones, sometimes  turning into piercing screams, and accompanied by active and nervous  gesticulations right in front of the minister and the ombudsman.

To the credit of officials it is necessary to note that they have  preserved external calm, tried to somehow dispel fears of their  opponents, assure them that the issue is not money or the desire to  indulge the interests of European structures, but in an effort to  eradicate family violence in Armenian society. However, their voices  were drowned out by the cries of activists, probably ready in the  name of preserving the Armenian family foundations, to get a few  slaps from their faithful.

Meanwhile, according to statistics, violence against women is a  serious problem in Armenia. According to the UN survey, 60% of women  in Armenia, at least once, were subjected to one or another kind of  violence.

Officially from 2012 to 2016. 3571 cases of domestic violence were  registered in the Armenian Police. We are talking about registered  cases. The fact that the "shadow" indicators in this area are much  higher, according to numerous studies. According to the Investigative  Committee, in 2015 the number of murders due to domestic violence  amounted to 17% of all committed in the republic.

According to these data, only in the first half of 2015, several  dozen criminal cases were initiated in Armenia for crimes against the  sexual inviolability of minors. "The most depressing fact is that in  a large number of cases it was a question of harassment of minors by  members of their families.In the first half of 2017, there were 215  cases of domestic violence in the Investigative Committee's  production, of which 5 were cases of murders According to the Office  of Legal Support and Statistics of the Investigative Committee of  Armenia in 2016, 359 criminal cases were brought against our family  and in the first half of 2017. 215. The main part of the criminal  cases related to beatings in 2016. 10 criminal cases were initiated  for murders, there were also cases of acts of a sexual nature against  minors, he added that the dynamics of the number of murders by  members the family remains in 2017. Suicide and suicide by family  members have also been recorded, statistics show that beatings in  2017 account for 59% of all cases involving family violence. In  addition, more than 20% of victims in such cases are children.