Ombudsman Hanzek held a press conference at which he presented special reports on the issue of the erased and domestic violence. Summing up debates held on the topic last year, the report on the problem of domestic violence is to serve as a guideline to those drawing up a bill on domestic violence.

The ombudsman's office is not satisfied with a number of solutions put forward in the draft of the bill. According to Deputy Ombudsman Tone Dolcic, the problem is that the document only deals with harassment of women, while the office believes it should also focus on children, who are the most vulnerable.

The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs meanwhile argues that child's rights and situation are adequately dealt with in the act on marriage and family relations. The ombudsman's office, however, cannot imagine how domestic violence can be tackled when mothers and children are dealt with in two separate pieces of legislation.

The special report on the issue of the erased in ombudsman's annual reports does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the problem, but draws attention to what the ombudsman has done in relation to this topic from the beginning, Hanzek explained.


Source: STA, 6 July 2004