CAT/C/MDA/CO/2 encouraged to adopt the necessary legislation, establish a domestic fund for victims of torture and allocate sufficient financial sources for its effective functioning. Coerced confessions 21. While noting that article 94, paragraph 1, of the code of criminal procedure prohibits the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture, the Committee is concerned at reports of several cases of confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment and at the lack of information on any officials who may have been prosecuted and punished for extracting such confessions (art. 15). The State party should take the steps necessary to ensure inadmissibility in court of confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment in all cases in line with domestic legislation and the provisions of article 15 of the Convention. In particular, it should improve methods of criminal investigation to end practices whereby confession is relied on as the primary and central element of proof in criminal prosecution, in some cases in the absence of any other evidence. The Committee requests the State party to submit information on the application of the provisions prohibiting admissibility of evidence obtained under duress and whether any officials have been prosecuted and punished for extracting such confessions. Trafficking in persons 22. The Committee welcomes the variety of legislative, policy and other measures, including the adoption in October 2005 of Law No. 241-XVI on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons and the establishment of the Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings. However, the Committee expresses its concern at persistent reports that the State party continues to be a country of origin and transit for trafficking in persons, particularly women and children (arts. 2, 10, 12 and 16). The State party should continue to strengthen its efforts to combat trafficking in women and children and take effective measures to prosecute and punish the alleged perpetrators, including by applying strictly relevant legislation, raising awareness of the problem and training law enforcement personnel and other relevant groups. The State party should also broaden the implementation of measures to assist the social reintegration of victims and to provide genuine access to health care and counselling. Domestic violence 23. While noting various measures taken by the State party, including the decision of 25 September 2009 by a court in Anenii Noi to issue a protection order in favour of the victim in a case involving domestic violence, the Committee remains concerned about the persistence of violence against women and children, including domestic violence, the rarity of intervention measures by the judiciary, the limited number and capacity of shelters for victims of domestic violence, and at reports that domestic violence is deemed to warrant the intervention of the police only in cases where it has resulted in serious injury (arts. 2, 13 and 16). The State party should enforce the Law on Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence and provide support for victims through the establishment of additional shelters, the provision of free counselling services and such other measures as may be necessary for the protection of victims. The Committee urges the State party to address impunity in this area, to take appropriate preventive measures and to provide training on the handling of domestic violence to all professionals involved in such cases, including police officers, prosecutors, judges and social workers, with emphasis on the gender aspects of domestic violence. The State party should also provide 10 GE.10-41468

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