Assistance, counseling centers for domestic abusers to operate under new framework Regulation

Chisinau, 7 Sep. /MOLDPRES/- Cabinet adopted today the new framework Regulation on organization and operation of the Assistance and Counseling Center for family abuse and the minimum quality standards, the government's communication and protocol department has reported.

The regulation comes to streamline the activity of specialized service providers addressed to family aggressors, by establishing a cooperation mechanism between the institutions involved in combating this phenomenon, such as police subdivisions, probation bodies and social assistance structures. Thus, a more effective monitoring of family aggressors will be carried out not to commit relapses and to motivate them to change their aggressive and violent behavior.

The new Framework Regulation sees the exclusion of the category of beneficiaries, teenagers with violent behavior, as for that category it is necessary to create specialized services for minors in conflict with the law. At the same time, couple counseling services will be excluded, the activity of the centers being entirely focused on counseling family aggressors.

Number of group counseling sessions was increased from 24-26 to 30-35 and the duration of the individual counseling program was set, which will include 3-5 sessions. Programs for abusers focus on the certainty that people have the capacity to change, to be empathetic and responsible.

The project was set up by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in collaboration with the National Probation Inspectorate, the General Police Inspectorate, the National Accreditation Council of Social Service Providers, the Victim Assistance and Protection Center in Chisinau, the assistance centers and counseling for family aggressors from Drochia, Căușeni, Ocnița and Chișinău, civil society representatives.

In 2022, 117 family aggressors received specialized assistance in the four counseling centers.

Photo: Government