A focus group to study the attitudes of police officers on domestic violence in the Smolyan region

On March 5, 2020 Animus Association Foundation, together with the Society and Safety Foundation organized a focus group with 10 police officers from the Smolyan District to study the attitudes of police officers on domestic violence. Several conclusions were reached by the participants in the focus group, namely: domestic violence is a personal / family problem and no action should be taken to “defame the family”; a need to establish centers and services to help the victim find temporary shelter. Security police officers have the necessary knowledge and experience to respond to domestic violence incidents, but could be assisted further by additional guidance on actions that objectively guide the police in cases of domestic violence, as well as with a single and objective risk assessment system. Having a single registry for perpetrators of domestic violence would help them track their change of address and new violence.

The focus group was held at the Community Support Centre in Smolyan in support of the project activities.

This publication is created with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Animus Association Foundation and under no circumstances can it be considered that this document reflects an official statement of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Operator – Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria.