Staff members of the Compulsory Enforcement Service participated in a two-day interactive training on the prevention of domestic violence. The participants learned how to identify domestic violence, discussed existing myths, and psychological trauma of the survivors of domestic violence and their children.

The training addressed the compulsory enforcement officers’ response to the cases of domestic violence as they enforce the court decisions on child custody, child visitation and child support. The participants also increased their knowledge on international legal standards on domestic violence, as well as the related national legislation, its gaps and challenges.

Elina Geghamyan, Assistant to the Chief compulsory enforcement officer of the Republic of Armenia, emphasised: “Proceedings related to a child visit within the framework of enforcement proceedings by the Compulsory Enforcement Service are always complex due to the psychological peculiarities of the cases. Hence, proper training of the staff conducting this type of proceeding is crucial, both in terms of direct visit procedures and in terms of the related legislation. The training enabled the compulsory executors to better understand the essence of domestic violence, the psychology of the abuser and the victim, as well as the legal acts aimed at preventing domestic violence. Such trainings are important in ensuring the efficiency and quality of the work of the compulsory enforcement staff”.

The training was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe project “The path towards Armenia’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence”.