“Our laws are good.”
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, support measures for victims of violence have been noticeably strengthened in recent years. In particular, it is about extending the period of placement of victims of violence in shelters – from three to six months with the possibility of extension up to one year.
Additional psychological support channels have also been introduced, including WhatsApp, Messenger, e-mail and video calls. The ministry plans to increase the number of shelters for victims of violence to 260.
A system of domestic violence specialists has been in place since 2014. The increase in detected cases – from 2,400 in 2023 to 10,800 in 2025 – indicates that the problem remains large, although the detection rate is also rising.
In recent years, the country has adopted a significant amount of legislation and regulations to combat domestic violence. In recent months alone, two major legislative packages have come into effect that, among other things, introduced the concept of femicide, increased criminalization of harassment in the workplace and during business trips, and toughened penalties for crimes by “online maniacs” against children.
“We already have all forms of violence stipulated in the Moldovan legislation, now we just need to enforce the law,” Deputy Speaker Doina German said.
Lack of resources
Nevertheless, according to statements by relevant ministries and agencies, as well as human rights experts, challenges, including normative ones, remain.
One of the key problems is the shortage of specialists and low salaries.
“There is an acute shortage of psychologists. The salary of a psychologist in social assistance is about 9 thousand lei. And last but not least – the current level of salaries of specialists in the social sphere is one of the lowest in the budget sector, taking into account responsibility, complexity and professional burnout,” said Felicia Bechtoldt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
Forensic medicine faces similar challenges. The volume of referrals is growing, but human and technical resources remain limited. Interagency cooperation mechanisms do not always work quickly and effectively enough, especially in terms of promptly referring victims to forensic medical examinations.
Ivan Bulgaru, Director of the Center for Forensic Medicine, considers it necessary to strengthen cooperation between all institutions involved – police, medical and social assistance, as well as the justice system.
Electronic control
Specialists consider it necessary to expand the system of electronic monitoring of domestic abusers. In the last six years, about 4,200 aggressors and 6,200 victims have been monitored. The tool has shown effectiveness – not a single tragic case was recorded under electronic monitoring. However, there are serious problems with the procurement of the devices: four tenders were held in 2025, but there is no production of such devices in Moldova.
“In addition, it is very important to include in the Code of Civil Procedure the mandatory issuance of a protection order in the presence of the aggressor. Most warrants are now issued in his absence. Therefore, many warrants are not executed because the aggressor does not know about them or is not notified and can leave the country without a travel ban and then come back and commit violence again,” said Viorel Socirca, director of the National Probation Inspectorate.
Victims of domestic violence are exempted from state fees for property division and other property disputes, removing financial barriers to going to court. Nevertheless, compensation and protection mechanisms work poorly in practice. In 2025, the Ministry of Justice received two applications for compensation, but neither was granted due to the complexity of the procedure.
Therefore, the Ministry of Justice plans to simplify access to compensation and eliminate excessive requirements by harmonizing the rules with European legislation, in particular the EU Directive on Compensation for Victims of Crime.
Experts recognize that psychological violence is the most difficult to investigate from the point of view of the criminal process. The government intends to create and officially implement a system of registering aggressors in the family, which will work on a permanent basis.
Territorial factor
The territorial factor is also important: the farther away from the capital and district centers, the more vulnerable the victims are.
“In villages, everyone knows each other – the mayor, police officer, social worker are often relatives or acquaintances. The woman does not trust the system and no one reacts because of these connections,” says Doina Ioana Straisteanu, a lawyer and human rights expert. In her opinion, there is a need for a uniform standard of response on the spot: many victims note that by the time the police arrive, the situation has already deteriorated.
Experts emphasize that the consequences of violence go beyond criminal and social mechanisms and directly affect mental health, including psychological crises and suicidal behavior.
Suicide prevention measures
According to the Ministry of Health, statistics on suicides in the Republic of Moldova show a decrease in the total number of cases from 359 in 2022 to 255 in 2025. According to Maxim Donici, head of the Health Ministry’s legal department, this trend shows “the positive impact of prevention measures”. The number of suicide attempts has also decreased.
“However, the problem remains serious. People aged 30-69 pose the highest risk, regardless of gender, indicating that the phenomenon is concentrated among the adult population,” Donich notes.
The activist for men’s rights, entrepreneur Eugeniu Nazarov draws attention to another statistic: the number of suicides among men is many times higher than among women. He noted that in Moldova there is practically no comprehensive scientific research in this area.
According to him, there are many governmental and non-governmental organizations dealing with women’s issues in the country, but much less attention is paid to issues related to men.
“Hype” on misfortune
The case of Lyudmila Vartik, according to Nazarov, has also revealed another problem that he calls a “shameful phenomenon” – speculation and politicization of the tragedy.
“The suicide of any person is a monstrous event! Anybody’s! And even regardless of the reasons. That said, this particular case has been politicized by all sides. And it is a shameful phenomenon that reveals the mental degradation of society – only a lazy person did not hype it. Everyone who can’t be bothered is climbing and dancing on her bones. Everyone is sure that they know the truth. Everyone is putting pressure on the investigation and justice, including the president and the parliament, which in itself is already illegal and unconstitutional. What is happening around her suicide is a hype and lawlessness, including by those who write these laws and are obliged to protect them. As an activist, I urge not to pressurize the investigation, and I urge the investigation to professionalism and objectivity.”, – shared Yevgeny Nazarov.
