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

• Author: Lídia Hermina Balogh
• Pages: 73-76

73

10 Violence against women and domestic vi olence in relation to the Istanbul

Convention

10.1 General (legal) context

10.1.1 Surveys and reports on issues of violence against women and domestic violence

Intimate partner vi olence against women is a major human rights, health and social

problem in Hungary. However, public policy has never regarded it as an important issue.

Comparable national data are lacking, as in Hungary very little relevant data collection

and research has been undertaken in the past 20 years. A paper from 2018 has reviewed

available research and presents the main findings: data proves the lack of relevant

information and knowledge about intimate pa rtner violence even amongst professionals

working at law enforcement agencies, and stereotypical thinking about intimate partner

violence (victim-blamin g or an idealised image of the family) is also accepted in a wide

circle of professionals and public opinion.415

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

related to the Istanbul Convention

The key element of national legislation regarding violence against women and domestic

violence is the Criminal Code,416 and especially the provisions on:

- sexual coercion (szexuális kényszerítés);417

- sexual violence (szexuális erszak);418

- sexual abuse (against children) (szexuális visszaélés);419

- incest (vérfertzés);420

- partnership violence (kapcsolati erszak);421 and

- stalking (zaklatás).422

There is also a separate Act on Restraining Applicable for Violence Between Relatives (i.e.

on the application of restraining orders).423

10.1.3 National provisions on online violence and online harassment

National legislation does not explicitly tackle online harassment; however, the

phenomenon can be addressed through the pre-existing criminal law provisions.424

Especially useful here is the provision on stalkin g (engaging in a conduct intended to

415 Tóth, O. (2018), ‘A nk elleni párkapcsolati erszak Magyarországon: Az elmúlt 20 év kutatási

eredményeinek összegzése’ (Intimate partner violence against women in Hungary: A summary of research

done in the past 20 years), Socio.hu, No. 4, pp. 1-28, available at:

https://socio.hu/uploads/files/2018_4/30_toth.pdf.

416 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012.

417 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

196.

418 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

197.

419 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

198.

420 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

199.

421 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

2012/A.

422 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (2012. évi C. törvény a Büntet Törvénykönyvrl), 13 July 2012, Article

222.

423 Act LXXII of 2009 on Restraining applicable for Violence Between Relatives (2009. évi LXXII. törvény a

hozzátartozók közötti erszak miatt alkalmazható távoltartásról), 6 July 2009.

424 Parti, K. (2016), ‘A megfélemlítés (bullying) szabályozása Magyarországon és külföldön’ (Legislation

regarding intimidation/bullying in Hungary and abroad), In Medias Res, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 114-146,

available at: http://media-tudomany.hu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2017/11/media-tudomany-a-

megfelemlites-bullying-szabalyozasa-magyarorszagon-es-kulfoldon-cikk-115.pdf.