Costas Tsiaras: Law drafting for domestic violence

By Panagiotis Stathis

The formation of a Legislative Drafting Committee that will elaborate and change the legal framework for domestic violence is revealed by the Minister of Justice, Costas Tsiaras, in view of the escalation of female homicides in Greece.

Mr. Tsiaras referred to the issue on the occasion of the bill submitted to Parliament for changes in the new Penal Code, the 13 murders of women in 2021 in Greece and the circular of the prosecutor of the Supreme Court Vassilis Pliotas: “..Human life is the supreme legal good and is absolutely and non-negotiably protected, in this absolute protection of human life there are no differences, no exceptions, no exceptions.

Gynecological murders are a timeless phenomenon, on a global level, which lately, is experiencing a worrying rise in our country and for this reason must be addressed holistically. At the level of repression, the primary goal of the government is to ensure that homicide against anyone who turns it on will be punished infallibly and horizontally with the most severe of punishments, that of life imprisonment. In addition to the stricter criminal treatment that the Penal Code will now reserve, as a State we must focus our efforts on those policies that will prevent the phenomenon. For this reason, in the near future, we will set up a special drafting committee to work on the legislative framework for dealing with domestic violence, while at the same time, the state is concerned with the reform of social structures aimed at preventing gender-based violence and protection of victims ”.

#Metoo

In his interview with APE-MPE, the Minister of Justice also referred to the Greek #metoo, saying that the disputed bill “changes the time limit for the commencement of the statute of limitations for crimes against sexual freedom and the economic exploitation of sexual life, when committed against minors.” , while “the offenses of insulting sexual dignity in the workplace and insulting sexual dignity for minors, will now be prosecuted ex officio” and not after inclination, as is the case today.

Regarding the amendment of Article 191 of the Penal Code on the dissemination of false news and the reactions provoked by it, Costas Tsiaras stated that he has proposals for dealing with the dissemination of false news and is looking for a common ground with the opposition parties and their stakeholders, so as to shield the right of citizens to valid information, but also to protect “the supreme good that is human life, without any compromise on freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of the press.”

Regarding the phenomenon of delays in the administration of Justice, Costas Tsiaras stressed that “we are trying to review all the Codes, which are the most important tools in the hands of judicial officials, in order to administer Justice, while its digitization is rapidly evolving judicial system “.