The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) informed the Government about the case of Yakimovschi versus the Republic of Moldova in which a woman complains that she was regularly subject to violence by her husband, in one case was even throttled and hit until she lost consciousness, but the man got only a small fine. The woman’s requests to hold her husband accountable were all in vain, IPN reports.

According to jurists of “Promo-LEX” Association, which represents the woman in court, in July 2011 the plaintiff had to leave her home together with her minor children. In several months, when she wanted to take her winter clothes from her home, she went to the local police officer, but this told her to go alone. The woman was against attacked and beaten violently by her husband.

The aggressor wasn’t held accountable. Not even the woman’s application to issue a restraining order for her and her children to be protected was accepted. Instead, the authorities started a criminal case against the woman, who faced up to five years in jail on charges of causing of medium bodily injuries to her husband. The jurists of “Promo-LEX” said the accusation was based on a doubtful medical-legal certificate and the victim of domestic violence was acquitted after almost five years of trials.

The woman complained to the ECHR about the violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights as she was subject to bad treatment by her husband, while the Moldovan authorities didn’t fulfill the obligation of conducting an effective investigation following her complaints about the use of physical and emotional abuse against her and didn’t punish the aggressor.

The woman also considers that Articles 8 and 14 of the Convention were violated by the adoption by the authorities of a preconceived attitude to domestic violence against women and acceptance of such situations and by non-ensuring of protection equal to the one enjoyed by her husband.