Press Release
Through the project “New Partnerships for Security and Better Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence in the Cities of Burgas, Turgovishte, Lovech, Montana, and Gotse Delchev”, “Aliance for Protection from Gender-Based Violence”, and Association “Demetra”, Burgas realized the project with the financial support of Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The project begin in February 2015 and has a duration of 18 months. Its main objectives are aimed at achieving and ensuring:

• Stronger judicial protection of victims of domestic violence including through easier access to justice
• Sustainable training of the magistrates including and through training with specific case studies on protection of victims
• Increased security for the victims through a more reliable and better quality services for the perpetrators of violence
• Zero tolerance towards domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence
• Elimination of gender stereotypes and the impunity of predators of violence
• Expanding the influence of the Alliance and partnerships with institutions and other organization in this area

The project will increase the capacity of the magistrates in the five cities in their work on the implementation of the Law on protection from domestic violence, for improvement and to harmonize the judicial practice as well as including international standards.

The project will contribute a more effective implementation of the systems for intervention and protection of the victims of domestic violence. It will also improve the quality of the programs for perpetrators of domestic violence with the goal to prevent future violence, relapses, and re-victimization of the victims.

The organizations and partners in the project will help improve the cooperation and exchanges between the representatives of the judicial system and organizations actively working in this field for more effective implementation of the coordinated community answer against domestic violence in Burgas, Targovishte, Lovech, Montana, and Gotse Delchev.

To achieve the goals of the project the following activities will be implemented:

• Coming to agreements with the courts and activation of local expert groups
• Training and development of an educational system for specialization on domestic violence and gender-based violence for magistrates. The sessions will be held in the Educational Center for Prevention of Violence /ECPV/ in the city of Burgas.
• Two day training sessions to test the curriculum and the selection of participants in the project covered cities
• Pilot testing the program for specialization of magistrates working with domestic violence and development of a platform for online education
• Providing training practices in the implementation of the program for specialization of magistrates and development of training videos
• Monitoring cases in implementing of the Law for Protection Against Domestic Violence in Burgas, Turgovishte, Montana, Lovech, and Gotse Delchev.

During the month of March 2015 press conferences will be held in each of the cities participating in the project with the aim of its wider promotion and signing of the cooperation agreements with the courts and NGOs.

For Contact:

Diana Videva, Project Manager – phone: 0898 583019

Attorney Daniela Gorbunova, Project Coordinator – phone: 0897 133024