MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. After uploading a bill on domestic violence to its website for public discussion, Russia’s Federation Council (upper house) came up against an organized campaign where identical negative reviews overran the upper house’s inboxes, Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Tuesday.
"We faced an organized campaign — we were simply trolled. Messages with requests or those rejecting the bill were carbon-copied. It was clear that this was an organized campaign. This is an attempt to manipulate public opinion," Matviyenko told a news conference.
These were unscrupulous citizens "imposing their point of view by overrunning the website of the Federation Council," she stressed. "Our working group is already analyzing them [these reports]," she noted.
Remarks and suggestions come from critical-thinkers, "which is good," the speaker said.
At the end of November, a bill combating domestic violence was uploaded to the website of the Federation Council. Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said the bill would be discussed thoroughly once again with pubic organizations, including those opposed to these initiatives, as well as with representatives of the Orthodox Church and other confessions. Matviyenko pledged that constructive proposals would be taken into consideration in the final version of the bill.
Responses to the bill were accepted until December 15, and 11,000 had come in by that time.
The document envisages protective and judicial regulations aimed at protecting the victims of domestic violence from an aggressor. As follows from the draft law, domestic violence means a threat or act that inflicts physical or mental suffering, as well as causing property damage, provided that it does not contain signs of an administrative offense or criminal offense. The victims of domestic violence can file complaints with the police, as well as get help from social protection agencies, crisis centers, centers for psychological assistance or medical establishments.
Meanwhile, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill sounded some caution in early December, saying that the Russian Orthodox Church is strongly against any domestic violence, but it is equally against intrusion into family life from the outside.
"Bills on preventing so-called domestic abuse and domestic violence are being considered by the State Duma at the moment," the patriarch said. "Of course, no violence should be allowed in families, but there is also something ominous in these propensities that are now taking shape, even regarding legislation. Under the guise of countering family disadvantages, certain people are trying to legitimize meddling in family life by using external forces, public or state organizations, or some volunteers who are supposedly meant to help resolve family problems," he said.