The programme for decreasing recidivism of violent men will receive EUR 50,000

The Ministry of Justice will support the development and piloting of the programme, targeted at men pleaded guilty in domestic violence, to be created by the scientist of the University of Tartu with EUR 50,000. At first, the programme will be tested in Harju, Tartu and East-Viru Counties.

“Domestic violence is definitely not acceptable in any way and every activity, which helps to decrease domestic violence is worth supporting, if possible. This year we were able to target EUR 50,000 at supporting preventive projects, and I am glad that we received several good applications for the competition announced in March. The University of Tartu provides a good opportunity for developing a specific programme for helping men who repeatedly tend to be violent, and I believe that scientific approach will also produce results, “explained Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Justice.

The activities proposed by the University of Tartu include analysis of the practice of foreign states, development of the suitable programme and adjustment of it to the needs of Estonia, development of separate methods for Russian and Estonian speaking people, if needed, and training of the specialists in this field for implementation of the rehabilitation programme. Both group and individual conversations will be held within the rehabilitation group. Additionally, psychological counselling is offered for those pleaded guilty in violence. Topics arisen in the groups and changes in attitudes of the participants and their opinions are analysed within the programme. Attention is also paid to studying the effect of the programme in order to adjust the programme, if needed.

According to Kristiina Tõnnisson, the Project Manager, the strength of the selected project was especially active cooperation between people of different fields and involvement of practicians and theoreticians already at the opening stage of the project. Additionally, the current project focuses on the most difficult target group, i.e. on the men themselves using violence, and they are ready to pilot the project in East-Viru County. “Both experience of Western countries as well as of Estonia so far will be taken into account in developing the programme by considering the particular features of the Estonian and Russian speaking target groups,” explained Tõnnisson.

The people committing domestic violence could be addressed to the service described in the project both via the system of justice as well as on voluntary basis.

The activities of the project will begin this year and they will continue until autumn 2015. The project will be implemented by the scientists of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences in cooperation with partners from state authorities, third sector as well as from Faculty of Social Sciences and Education.

The support was granted on the basis of the decision of the Crime Prevention Council, made during the sitting of 20 November 2012, to support the activities targeted at domestic violence offenders by means of crime prevention provision, incl. rehabilitation and psychotherapy programme targeted at domestic violence offenders, or development, application, assessment and activities of longer-term intervention, which in addition to working with the violence offender pay also attention to supporting the victim.

The competition of crime prevention projects has been organized since 2004, and 65 projects have received state support in the total amount of EUR 505,000.

Additional information: Kristiina Tõnnisson, Director of the Euro College of UT, leader of the project receiving funding, phone: 737 6372, 5554 4312, E-mail: [email protected].