Policing Domestic Violence in Greece: The Cooperation of the Police with Women-Victims of Domestic Violence as a Key Factor in the Prevention and Treatment

Abstract

Addressing a complex social problem, such as intimate violence, is neither simple nor easy. Since the period of the recognition of domestic violence as an independent criminal act in the international Conventions and the law of states, police performing was one of the main factors at the center of studies. In spite of interventions in the field of Police action, several studies have so far revealed the low level of domestic violence reporting to Police Authorities and the well-held perception in the consciousness of women victims that the Police cannot provide them with meaningful help, which is complicated by the very effect of abuse on their lives and their decisions. This article presents the findings of two surveys conducted in Greece during the implementation of a European project. The findings of these studies highlight once more the reasons for under-reporting domestic violence crimes to the Police, as well as the attitudes and perceptions of police officers on the phenomenon, the assessment of the operational preparedness and the obstacles in managing relevant incidents.