Electronic tagging could help fight violence against women

17 July 2011, Sunday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
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The body covered by newspapers belongs to a woman allegedly shot dead by her husband in Kocaeli on July 17. Her husband was detained by police in İstanbul (bottom right).

Experts confirm that Turkey is seeing a rise in the number of violent attacks against women by men, and women's rights groups suggest that one measure in the prevention of such violence could be the electronic monitoring of known abusers.  

Although new laws and public awareness campaigns against domestic violence are being extensively employed, Turkey has so far failed to effectively address this seemingly growing problem.

Experts say a number of preventive measures, including family counseling, monitoring access to violent Internet content, and addressing alcohol-related or psychological issues, should be taken to keep domestic violence from occurring in the first place. However, the most important legal weapon battered women have is their confidence in the response of the authorities the first time they report abuse. But what happens after a woman's attacker is released? Experts say where restraining orders and other legal edicts fail, electronic handcuffs could work to prevent recurring domestic violence.

Nevzat Tarhan, a professor of psychiatry at the İstanbul-based Memory Center's department of neuropsychiatry, says the number of reported cases described as acts of violence against female victims has risen by 57 percent in the past 10 years. He emphasizes that combating male violence against women involves two stages, saying: “There is work that needs to be done once the violence occurs, and there are things that can be done as preventive measures. Alcohol and drug abusers, those who have undergone psychiatric treatment and people who come from disintegrated families belong to group at risk for perpetrating domestic violence. Family doctors can assist in the treatment of these people, and should be trained to provide such help to families.”

Tarhan said electronic tagging, which enables authorities to monitor the movements of a potential offender by attaching an electronic device to the person, is used extensively to track known abusers in many countries. “This greatly facilitates monitoring people who have no anger management skills. It would work. If this could be applied in Turkey, we would definitely see results. The potential abuser would be afraid to go to prison, and this could prevent violence. Of course, this can only be implemented by court order.”

Nurhayat Kızılkan, a psychiatrist from İstanbul-based Fatih University, asserted that electronic tagging is an absolutely necessary practice to combat and prevent violence against women. “You can't speak of a family where you don't have trust. Electronic tagging can help to restore the victim's rights as a person.”

Federation of Women's Associations of Turkey President Canan Güllü recently proposed the establishment of centers which would provide legal and medical assistance to female victims of violence in Turkish provinces. The prime minister has given the green light for the centers to open as part of the basic health services department of the Ministry of Health. Güllü also emphasized that police and the judiciary must have open and effective lines of communication at all times in order to prevent violence against women.

via todayszaman.com