National Crime Prevention and Control programme 2003

In 2003 the Parliament (Seimas) of the Republic of Lithuania approved the National Crime Prevention and Control Programme. The programme provides the main framework for action on crime prevention and control, including the prevention and control of crimes of violence, particularly domestic violence. The Programme outlines the following activities to be undertaken:

crimes of violence, especially domestic violence, are often related to conflict situations. Thus, an important role in their prevention must be given to developing the ability to settle conflicts without violence;

law-enforcement institutions, cooperating with health care, social, education and other institutions, must receive necessary information about inharmonious families and asocial persons, control the situation and properly respond to threats of violence or its manifestations, and ensure expeditious detection of crimes of violence;

apart from administrative or criminal proceedings and other control measures, corresponding institutions (health care, education, social security, law-enforcement, public organisations) must provide social security services for persons apt to violence;

seeking to protect people from repeated cases of domestic violence, violence at work, other forcible, desperate, violent actions, to expand and strengthen the network of institutions providing social psychological support in crisis situations;

to devote more attention to informing and educating the public about forms, methods and specific ways of self-defence against violence;

to give special attention to restricting violence promotion in the mass media. Before announcing information, persons must establish what impact it will have on the psychological state of the population and their attitude towards the order in the state.

Policy Framework

Issuer

Parliament (Seimas) of the Republic of Lithuania