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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Government adopts Conclusion regarding initiative to amend Criminal Code

Belgrade, 31 October 2022

The Serbian government adopted today the Conclusion regarding the initiative of the President of the Republic of Serbia to amend the Criminal Code by introducing stricter penal policy for the crimes of rape and domestic violence.

The initiative proposes a prison sentence for the crime of rape of five to twenty years, with the possibility of life imprisonment, and sharper penalty policy for the crime of domestic violence.

The Ministry of Justice will work in the coming period on the Draft law on amendments to the Criminal Code, in line with the proposed initiative.

A working group will be set up for the needs of making this draft law, composed of representatives of all relevant state bodies and the professional public, which will be followed by a public debate of the interested members of the public, expert institutions and individuals.

By tightening the penal policy, the state is sending a clear message to the victims of violence, above all to women, that it will react in the harshest way possible and implement a harsh penal policy for the prevention of such crimes.

In addition, the introduction of a stricter penal policy for the crimes of rape and domestic violence would significantly encourage victims not to put up with violence and to report the perpetrators without fear, confident that the state will be there to protect them.

The tightening of the penal policy would undoubtedly avert possible perpetrators from committing such crimes.