Violence against women and domestic violence in relation to the Istanbul Convention

• Author: Nicole Mathé
• Pages: 34-35

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10 Violence against women and domestic violence in relation to the Istanbul

Convention

10.1 General (legal) context

10.1.1 Surveys and reports on issues of violence against wom en and domestic violence

There are no specific surveys or reports on issues of violence against women and domestic

violence, but the fifth country report of Liechtenstein to the CEDAW19 shall be mentioned.

Some information abou t interventions of the police in cases of domestic violence from

2001 to 2016 are listed; the numb ers and the kind of intervention made by the police is

briefly shown in two charts.

10.1.2 Overview of national acts on violence against women, domestic violence and issues

related to the Istanbul Convention

The main legislation is laid down in the Penal Code (StGB) and th e Penal Procedure Code

(StPO)20 as well as in the Act on Aid for victims (OHG).21

10.1.3 National provisions on online violence and online harassment

National provisions on the topic were amended in the Penal C ode in 2019.22 According to

Article 107(c) StGB, continued harassment via electronic c ommunication or computer

systems is punished by up to one year imprisonment or a fine. Pursuant to Article 203

StGB, someone who sexually harasses a person grossly and verbally by means of

information or commu nication technologies is punished by imprisonment of up to six

months or a fine. Furthermore, anyone who incites hate speech or discrimination, publicly

disseminates ideologies of systematic defamation of persons or violates human dignity by

discriminating against a person is punished by up to two years of imprisonment for

discrimination on the grounds of gender, and the same punishment applies to anyone who

does this via electronic media (Article 283 StGB).

10.1.4 Political and societal debate

There is some political and societal debate on the topic. In cooperation with various NGOs,

the Government participates in the yearly campaign ‘16 days against violence to women’

from 25 November to 10 December. This campaign aims at raising th e awareness of the

public on the topic of violence against women, making people more familiar with the

helplines and offering ways for non-violent solutions.

10.2 Ratification of the Istanbul Convention

Liechtenstein signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating

violence against women and domestic vi olence, called the Istanb ul Conventi on, on 10

November 2016 in Stra sbourg. The Istanbul Convention is the first legally binding pan-

European instrument aiming to protect women and girls in particular from any form of

violence and particularly from domestic violence. By signing the Convention, after a formal

decision by the Government on 5 October 2016, Liechtenstein sent a clear sign of

supporting the aim of the Convention.

The main points of the Istanbul Convention are the prevention of violence against women,

the protection of victims and the consequent pursuit of the crimes under this Convention.

A working group nominated by the Government in March 2016 has examined the prevailing

19 See https://www.llv.li/files/aaa/5-landerbericht-cedaw-de.pdf, pp. 14-16.

20 State Gazette, LGBl. 2012/26.

21 State Gazette, LGBl. 2007/228.

22 State Gazette, LGBl. 2016/14 and 2019/124.