Some effects of 'pre-crime' concept in combating domestic violence

Abstract

The paper discusses the role of police, public prosecutor and court in combating domestic violence and the effects achieved in the 2018‒2021 period. The aim of the study was to establish whether the provisions of the law that empower the police and judicial bodies are adequately implemented in the entire territory of the Republic of Serbia and whether they offer sufficient mechanisms to efficiently and effectively prevent and suppress domestic violence and provide efficient protection of the victims. The study also aimed to establish what effects were achieved by proactive approach of the relevant authorities in the analysed four-year period, what the sentencing policy of the courts has been, and how efficient the public prosecution was in suppressing domestic violence. The research results have shown that the effects of the new concept applied in suppressing domestic violence are not uniform in all the regions of Serbia, that there has been a decrease in the number of criminal offences, but that the number of fatalities among family members has not declined.