“I have read it thoroughly and I see no reason to worry that something unacceptable could be imposed on our society,” State Police Chief Armands Ruks said in an interview with the Latvian Television programme Rīta Panorāma, according to lsm.lv.
He encouraged others who have not read the convention to open it and see what it actually contains. Ruks stressed that Latvia has a serious problem with violence and that all available tools must be used to combat it. “Nothing that is unacceptable to us can be imposed on us,” Ruks said, adding that every individual law aimed at reducing violence is approved by the Saeima.
The Police Chief underlined that the convention promotes disclosure of violence, which is often hidden. Violence frequently remains unreported because people are ashamed to talk about it, and in many cases the victim is economically dependent on the abuser. Since the ratification of the convention, more cases of violence have been reported and stricter penalties have been introduced, lsm.lv notes.
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