The Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors promoted Thursday the "Practical Course for Proceedings in Domestic Violence Cases", published within the United Nations joint programme for strengthening of national capacities to prevent domestic violence, funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

The practical course is the basic tool when proceeding in domestic violence cases, describing jurisdictions of all key institutions regarding the problem. It will help professionals in the domestic violence field to acquaint with the competencies of all institutions involved.

Academy director Aneta Arnaudovska said the institution has successfully implemented the training programme for domestic violence prevention, whereas the practical course was developed in the course of the training, which included eight workshops, including police officers, judges, prosecutors, associates and representatives from social affairs centers.

Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska and Minister of Labor and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski attended the event.

"The basic prerequisite for a healthy society is a healthy family. The institutions are obliged to use all resources at disposal in undertaking preventive and educating measures, but also act repressively against all forms of domestic violence", said Minister Jankuloska.

According to Labor Minister Ristovski, the institutions' appropriate response to domestic violence was efficient only if undertaken at the time when it occurred.

"Therefore, the mechanism for protection and assistance for domestic violence victims should act through mutual coordination and information exchange", emphasized Ristovski.