As hundreds and thousands of women participated in the Women's March from across the world to fight for their rights and protest against sexism, Russia is looking to advance a bill which would decriminalise domestic violence in the country.
The legislation would eliminate criminal liability for assaults against family members, which are first-time offenses, assaults which caused no injury that required hospital treatment and excluded rape. The bill will make such assaults mere administrative offense which would only result in fines against the offender and not prison sentences.
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The bill was introduced by ultra-conservative lawmaker Yelena Mizulina, who courted infamy as the man behind the controversial law banning "gay propaganda" in the country.
Soon after the bill was introduced, Russian lawmakers in the country gave almost unanimous approval to it at its first reading this month, according to NBC News reports. The second reading for the bill is scheduled on January 25 and if the bill passes without alteration, it stands to clear the parliamentary procedure in no time and become a law in Russia.
According to the statistics by Russian Interior Ministry, around 40 percent of all violent crimes occur in family surroundings in Russia. Reports state that in 2013, more than 9,000 women were killed in domestic violence-related incidents.
If the bill is passed, it would make family members who commit the above mentioned assault punishable by either a 15-day arrest or a fine of less than 30,000 rubles which amounts to around $500.
The introduction of the bill has sparked outrage globally and has incurred the wrath of human rights advocacy groups.
"This bill is a sickening attempt to trivialise domestic violence, which has long been viewed as a non-issue by the Russian government. Far too often victims find they cannot rely on the law for protection and their abusers are let off the hook, with only a tiny fraction imprisoned for their actions," Deputy Director for Campaigns for Russia and Eurasia at Amnesty International, Anna Kirey in a statement said.
