The Council of Europe has noted Latvia's progress in preventing violence against women, but has stated that better victim support, prioritisation of victims and children in custody proceedings, and amendments to law on rape are needed, among other improvements.
The findings come as part of the Council of Europe's Group of experts on action against violence against women and domestic violence (GREVIO) newly published first baseline evaluation of Latvia's implementation of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as the "Istanbul Convention"), which entered into force in the country on 1 May 2024.
GREVIO welcomes the significant legislative and policy measures adopted by Latvia before and after ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which demonstrate the country's commitment to preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. However, further action is required in a number of areas to ensure full compliance with the convention.
Latvia strengthens laws on violence against women
Today's report notably welcomes the adoption of the first national action plan for 2024-29 to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. It also notes important criminal-law reforms, including the introduction of criminal liability for stalking and the criminalisation of psychological violence, as well as the introduction of an administrative offence of sexual harassment.
Other positive aspects include the availability of funding for victim support services, the system of emergency barring orders offering immediate protection to victims of domestic violence, as well as the constructive co-operation between state authorities and civil society organisations.
GREVIO calls more specialist support services and consent-based rape laws
Despite these positive steps, the report calls for stronger prevention efforts as well as effective co-ordination, adequate resources and the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the national action plan. It also highlights the need to ensure accessible protection and support services across the country, including in rural areas, and for women facing multiple forms of discrimination. Furthermore, the report finds much progress made over the years in protecting women from domestic violence, often in the context of ensuring safety in the family, but that efforts in relation to other forms of violence against women require further attention.
To help identify the scale of the issue, the report suggests improving the collection of disaggregated data, but also the availability of specialist support services, including dedicated shelters for female victims of domestic violence and their children, and the availability and quality of perpetrator programmes. GREVIO also calls on the Latvian authorities to incorporate the notion of freely given consent into criminal-law provisions on rape and sexual violence.
Decisions on child custody and visitation rights should take into account incidents of violence against women and prioritise the safety of victims and their children, including children who have witnessed such violence.
GREVIO also highlights the importance of ensuring sustainable funding and strengthening responses to emerging forms of violence against women, including those occurring in the digital sphere, and establishing a state-wide telephone helpline for female victims of all forms of violence.
