Law on Domestic Violence: Parents’ Union Creates Another Petition, Children's Rights Commissioner Responds

A petition against the “Law on Domestic Violence”, dubbed "Saltanat's Law" by The Parents’ Union of Kazakhstan, is collecting signatures on epetition.kz,  Orda.kz reports.

The petition demands the repeal of the law on domestic violence that recently came into force. Children being taken away from their families "indiscriminately" is the supposed reason. 

These laws introduce a simple mechanism for removing children from their families for a smack by a parent, for an accident with a child, for the fact that the child stumbled and broke the law, for a “threat” of violence, and also on the basis of a report, the description reads

According to the Parents' Union, the punishments and offenses are disproportionate.

Administrative punishment for such an act, committed as a result of a conflict between members of the same family, is quite reasonable, fair, and sufficient. A reaction to beatings in the form of initiating a criminal case for a smack by a parent of their child would be extremely inadequate and absurd. The punishment seems even more absurd - an exorbitant fine of 700 thousand tenge or arrest for a month and a half,  notes the organization.

The Parents' Union is trying to convince people that the law's language calling for accountability is being implemented strategically.

We believe that responsibility for bullying is being introduced with the strategic goal of teaching our children to accept the “normality” of non-traditional sexual relationships, the explanation says.

Famous Kazakhstani rapper Scryptonite even believed the interpretations of the Parents' Union. The Commissioner for Children's Rights in Kazakhstan, Dinara Zakiyeva,  personally took it upon herself to explain to him that the claims were unfounded. 

Today, Zakiyeva commented on the petition, trying to explain that the Parents' Union misinterprets the law.

Zakiyeva believes that the petition's main idea, i.e., the law can harm the institution of the family, is untrue.

The president of the country has set the task of developing a culture of the unacceptability of violence in society, building a society where physically assaulting a person, including a child, is unacceptable. This is a state where law and order are at the forefront, explains Dinara Zakiyeva on her Facebook.

Zakiyeva stated that only people who do not comprehend how many children have experienced violence could oppose the law. She invited them to become volunteers at a crisis center or family support center to understand why toughening punishment is critical.

Meanwhile, Factcheck.kz reports that the new laws do not regulate the process of removing children from families. This mechanism has existed for many years. Taking away parental rights serves as a last resort. Only a court can make a decision on this. The life and health of the children in the family must also be in danger. Parents still maintain the ability to return their children.

The Parents' Union has created a reputation as a responsible and vigilant body with its positions on the removal of children, the West's agenda, the threat of vaccinations, and LGBT propaganda. 

An anti-LGBT petition also reached the necessary 50,000 signatures at lightning speed. The head of the Parents’ Union initiated it. Because signatures are too easy to collect, the rules for considering petitions may change.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original text in Russian for accuracy. The text is a combination of 2 separate articles (Article 1, Article 2)