During his meeting with Prosecutor General Juris Stukāns and Chief of State Police Armands Ruks, Latvia’s President Egils Levits, in light of a recent scandalous murder in Jekabpils, suggested adopting a new security measure – electronic monitoring, as confirmed by the State President’s Chancellery.
The president stressed that the entire blame for the murder is on the shoulders of the state. The victim did all she could to save herself. She turned to the police time and time again, asking for protection.
Levits stressed that police and prosecution office had the necessary information but neither institution did enough to ensure the woman’s protection.
He said identifying one “person responsible” would not change the situation.
“The means available to the police, prosecution offices and courts are too weak prevent situations when people’s lives are in danger. Even if police had acted appropriately, even then it is possible the tragedy still could have happened,” said Levits.
The president also said the protection offered by the Criminal Law to prevent threats to human lives and persecution (online included) is too weak. It does not work in practice in most cases.
This, he stressed, is contrary to the state’s obligation to protect people. This duty is listed in the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia.
Levits said this is why it is necessary to add systematic changes to legislation. The authority of law enforcement institutions have to be expanded in order for them to be able to combat individual violent episodes and deal with behaviour of violent people in general. Such crimes should carry more severe punishments.
The president also suggested improving inter-institutional cooperation, educating law enforcement workers and changing the overall attitude in order to identify and prevent violence against women and domestic violence.
“Criminal justice policy should be focused primarily on protection of victims, not expansion of the rights of the perpetrator.
Police need rights and measures to provide this protection,” said Levits.
The president invites legislators to adopt a new security measures – electronic monitoring. It could prove especially effective such cases.
He also invites legislators to reconsider preventive isolation of violent people if they systematically breach restraining orders.
Levits agrees with the proposal from the Ministry of Justice to focus on criminal processes regarding domestic violence among family members by outlining it as a priority in the Criminal Law.
Also read: “The system is rotten”, says Latvian Minister of Justice