Preventing domestic violence through rehabilitation of perpetrators is key to ensuring long-term impact and safety for victims. Effective perpetrator programmes focus on changing behaviour, taking responsibility, and reducing repeat offenses, making them an important part of domestic violence prevention. This is the core message of Article 16 of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, which calls on states to establish and support programmes that help prevent reoffending and promote behavioural change among perpetrators.
Armenia is taking steps to develop structured interventions in this direction, and a major progress is the recent adoption of a government decree, which lays the foundation for a national programme of rehabilitation and treatment for domestic violence perpetrators.
To support this effort, on 21 March, an interagency discussion was held in Yerevan, bringing together relevant state agencies and key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Police of Armenia, Ministry of Justice, Probation Service, General Prosecution Office, Investigative Committee, and NGOs supporting victims and those that may implement perpetrator programmes in the future. The discussion provided a platform to share knowledge and explore necessary actions through the examination of international standards and best practice, as well as successful models of such programmes in other countries.
Council of Europe international expert Adelina Toplica-Badivuku shared insights on international best practices and successful intervention models. She highlighted that true intervention lies in shifting perpetrators' mindsets and thinking, as lasting behavioural change is key to preventing repeat offenses.
In her welcome speech, Deputy Minister Tatevik Stepanyan stated: "Breaking the cycle of violence requires rehabilitating perpetrators, and this demands collective effort. We highly value the Council of Europe's support in this process. This discussion is a key step toward exploring effective perpetrator programmes. Our goal is to make this one of the services of the Ministry, and we understand the challenges but with the right approach and co-operation this will be possible."
The outcomes of this discussion will guide the development of a comprehensive perpetrator programme tailored to Armenia’s legal and social context in alignment with the Istanbul Convention and international standards.
This event was organised as a part of the second phase of the Council of Europe implemented "Ending violence against women and promoting gender equality in Armenia" project, aiming to continue the support to Armenia’s efforts in combating violence against women and promoting gender equality.
