EFFICIENCY OF LEGAL SOLUTIONS IN FIGHT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence has had a long tradition, both in Serbia and countries of the region. Owing to deep rooted patriarchal traditions, for centuries this socially pathological phenomenon has had many supporters and for a long time it was considered socially acceptable. Laws and bylaws adopted in the past decade have significantly improved the legal framework in protection of domestic violence victims. However, inefficiency of their application in practice, caused by slow and long resolution processes, and the issues of the very acts of domestic violence and custody, have led to an escalation in domestic violence. This is greatly enabled by the fact that false reports while the acts occur go unpunished, which makes it possible for real abusers to use this tactic and prolong the stress situation for the real victim, in some cases, for years. The aim of the authors is to do a comparative analysis of laws in the region and consequences of their application, therefore defining problems that present obstacles for adopted laws and suggest new solutions