Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
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illness. 202 <strong>The</strong>y also <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>in</strong>juries that permanently reduce the victim’s capacity towork by at least one-third. Medium <strong>in</strong>juries are those which, while not life-threaten<strong>in</strong>g,take more than three weeks to heal and cause less than one-third <strong>in</strong>capacitation. 203 Light<strong>in</strong>juries are further subdivided <strong>in</strong>to those that take between six and 21 days to heal andcause less than 15% <strong>in</strong>capacitation, and those with a heal<strong>in</strong>g period of less than five days(“<strong>in</strong>significant <strong>in</strong>capacitation”). 204 Section 32, which def<strong>in</strong>es light <strong>in</strong>juries, conta<strong>in</strong>s thefollow<strong>in</strong>g note:Beat<strong>in</strong>gs are characterized by blows, most often multiple ones. If thebeat<strong>in</strong>gs did not result <strong>in</strong> visible <strong>in</strong>juries (bruises, scratches, etc.), the<strong>for</strong>ensic doctor shall <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>in</strong> his report the compla<strong>in</strong>ts of the victim and<strong>in</strong>dicate that no objective symptoms of <strong>in</strong>juries have been found andthere<strong>for</strong>e no assessment of the degree of <strong>in</strong>juries is carried out.<strong>The</strong> regulations list the level of <strong>in</strong>capacity believed to result from specific<strong>in</strong>juries. <strong>The</strong>y also <strong>in</strong>clude a detailed list<strong>in</strong>g of serious <strong>in</strong>juries. Other than the noteabove, however, there is no detailed description of <strong>in</strong>juries that fall <strong>in</strong>to the medium orlight categories.2. ProcedureForensic experts are <strong>in</strong>tegral to the prosecution of domestic violence, s<strong>in</strong>ceprosecutors will not open a case of crim<strong>in</strong>al bodily <strong>in</strong>jury without a <strong>for</strong>ensic report on thedegree of physical <strong>in</strong>jury. Typically, a case comes to the police and the police officerrefers the woman <strong>for</strong> a <strong>for</strong>ensic exam<strong>in</strong>ation. If a victim seeks emergency treatment, thehospital will alert the police and the police will authorize a <strong>for</strong>ensic exam<strong>in</strong>ation. Be<strong>for</strong>emak<strong>in</strong>g a referral, the <strong>in</strong>vestigator usually asks the treat<strong>in</strong>g doctor specific questionsabout the type of <strong>in</strong>jury and its probable cause.Forensic doctors describe <strong>in</strong>juries and determ<strong>in</strong>e the level of <strong>in</strong>jury as def<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>the <strong>for</strong>ensic regulations. <strong>The</strong>se def<strong>in</strong>itions are <strong>in</strong> turn determ<strong>in</strong>ed by the degrees of <strong>in</strong>juryidentified <strong>in</strong> the Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code. Forensic experts may take <strong>in</strong>to account the f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs andreports of other doctors, cl<strong>in</strong>ics and hospitals. <strong>The</strong> doctor’s task, however, is not todeterm<strong>in</strong>e the legal classification of the crime under the Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to theCrim<strong>in</strong>al Procedure Code, that is the responsibility of the prosecutor or the<strong>in</strong>vestigator. 205 After the <strong>for</strong>ensic doctor exam<strong>in</strong>es the patient, he or she provides the<strong>in</strong>vestigator with a report that <strong>in</strong>cludes a conclusion. Based on the conclusion, the192Id. at Chapter I, section 8.203 Id. at Chapter II, section 28.204 Id. at Chapter III, sections 31, 32.55.205 Interview, May 5, 2000 (law professor, Yerevan); see also Code of Crim<strong>in</strong>al Procedure, Articles 54,M<strong>in</strong>nesota <strong>Advocates</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong>, <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> <strong>in</strong> Armenia, December 2000 37