Strasbourg court condemns Russia for a case of domestic violence

The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered the Russian state to pay financial compensation for a victim of domestic violence, who left the country after police have failed to take action against a former boyfriend who had threatened him.

The court ruling said Russian authorities have violated the rights of Valeria Volodina, according to the European Convention for Human Rights, which prohibits torture and “inhuman or degrading treatment” and discrimination.

The European Court ruled that Russia should pay 20,000 euros in compensation and 5,875 euros to cover its judicial expenses.

Volodina, a former Russian resident, has filed her complaint at the Court in June 2017.

In her complaint, she said her former boyfriend, beat her hard several times, threatened to kill her, and kidnapped her.

Volodina also said police in Ulyanovsk have ignored numerous calls she had made to investigate how she was being treated by her former boyfriend.

Early in 2018, authorities in Ulyanovsk agreed to accuse a person of violating Valeria Volodina's privacy after publishing her intimate pictures.

But the investigation never ended in court.

Fearing for her safety, Volodine changed her name and left Russia.

Russia's State Statistics Agency says that during 2016, 16 million women were victims of family violence in Russia.

Human rights activists say women's complaints of abuse have increased since Russian lawmakers in 2017 deriminated domestic violence.