If you have been a victim of violence

How do you know if you are a victim of domestic violence? For many people, this is something obvious that cannot leave the victim in doubt. In reality, however, the close relationship with the perpetrator often distorts concepts and perceptions and makes it difficult to recognize violence.

There are many signs of a violent relationship, and they are not limited to direct physical assault. The most telling is fear of your partner: a manifestation of this fear can be that you are constantly careful about what you say and do in order to avoid conflict with them. Another sure sign can be that the person you live with tries to control and limit you, belittling you and the things you do.

Am I affected or a victim of violence?

To better understand whether you are affected or a victim of domestic violence, you can answer a series of questions. The more "yes" answers you have, the more likely you are to be in an abusive relationship. The questions are as follows:

• Are you afraid of your partner most of the time?
• Do you avoid certain topics for fear of angering your partner?
• Do you feel like you can't do anything right for your partner?
• Does your partner ignore your opinions or achievements?
• Does your partner blame you for his or her own behavior?
• Does your partner treat you so badly that you are embarrassed to be seen by friends, family, or relatives?
• Does your partner treat you like property or a sexual object rather than a person?

• Does your partner control where you go or what you do?
• Does your partner limit your access to money, the internet, your phone, or your car?
• Do you feel emotionally numb and/or helpless?
• Do you sometimes feel like your partner is mentally ill?
• Do you sometimes receive threats to hurt or kill you?
• Has your partner ever physically abused you?
• Does your partner ever threaten to take your children away or harm them?
• Has your partner ever threatened to kill himself if you left him?
• Do you believe that you deserve to be hurt and abused?

Who can receive protection?

Everyone is entitled to protection – not only adults, but also children who have suffered domestic violence committed by:

1. current or former spouse;
2. current or former partner without marriage (in de facto cohabitation/cohabitation on a family basis);
3. person with whom there is a child;
4. parent, grandmother or grandfather;
5. child, grandchild, great-grandchild;
6. brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cousins – all relatives in the collateral line up to the fourth degree inclusive;
7. son-in-law, daughter-in-law and any relative by marriage up to the third degree inclusive;
8. guardian, trustee or adoptive parent;
9. partner of the parent without marriage (in de facto cohabitation/cohabitation on a family basis);
10. children/grandchildren, parents and other ascending or descending relatives of the partner without marriage (in de facto cohabitation/cohabitation on a family basis).

What assistance and protection are you entitled to as a victim?

Court protection

Domestic violence is a crime and victims are entitled to protection, both with an immediate order from the court under civil law and with a number of criminal measures from the prosecutor's office when criminal proceedings are initiated. Among the measures imposed on the victim are:

1. Obligation of the perpetrator to refrain from committing domestic violence through a protection order issued by the district court;
2. Removal of the perpetrator from the jointly occupied home for a period determined by the court;
3. Prohibition of the perpetrator from approaching the victim, the home, the workplace and the places of social contacts and recreation of the victim under conditions and for a period determined by the court;
4. Temporary determination of the child's place of residence with the victim's parent or with the parent who did not commit the violence. Here, the conditions and period are determined by the court, if this does not contradict the interests of the child. This measure is not imposed in the event of a pending legal dispute between the parents regarding the exercise of parental rights, the determination of the child's place of residence or the regime of personal relations;
5. Obligation of the perpetrator of violence to attend specialized programs;
6. Referral of the victim to recovery programs.