Arrested or detained women shall not suffer discrimination and shall be protected
from all forms of violence or exploitation.161
Women detainees shall be supervised and searched by female officers and staff.162
Women shall be detained separately from male detainees.163
Pregnant women and nursing mothers shall be provided with special facilities in detention.164
Law enforcement agencies shall not discriminate against women in recruitment, hiring, training, assignment, promotion, salary or other career or administrative matters.165
Law enforcement agencies shall recruit sufficient numbers of women to ensure fair
community representation and the protection of the rights of female suspects, arrestees
and detainees.166
All police officials
Practice
Treat domestic violence crimes as legally equivalent to other assaults.
Respond promptly to domestic violence and sexual violence calls, inform victims of
available medical, social, psychological and material support, and provide transportation to a safe place.
Investigate domestic violence thoroughly and professionally. Interview victims, witnesses, neighbours and medical professionals.
Prepare detailed reports of domestic violence incidents and follow-up carefully, both
with superiors and with the victim, check reports against previous incidents in the
files, and take all necessary action to prevent a recurrence.
After medical, administrative and other procedures have been completed, offer to
accompany a victim of domestic violence to her home to move her personal effects to
a safe place.
Enrol in training to develop your skills in aiding and protecting victims of domestic
violence.
Cooperate closely with medical professionals and social agencies in handling cases of
domestic violence.
Ensure that a female officer is present during all contacts with women offenders and
with women victims of crime. Defer completely to female colleagues, where possible.
Separate female from male detainees. Be sure that female officers supervise and
search female detainees.
If male, abstain from and discourage gender-insensitive conversations and jokes with
male colleagues.
Ask female colleagues for their feelings and perceptions on any policies, practices,
behaviour or attitudes that are gender-specific, initiate improvements yourself, and
support them in their efforts to do so.
Command and supervisory officials
Issue and enforce clear standing orders on prompt and effective responses to domestic violence calls and their legal equivalence to other forms of assault.
161
UDHR, article 2; ICCPR, articles 2 and 3; Code of Conduct, articles 1 and 2; CEDAW, article 15; Declaration on Discrimination against Women, articles 1 and 6; Principles on Detention or Imprisonment, principle 5.
162
SMRTP, rule 53.
163
SMRTP, rule 53.
164
SMRTP, rule 23.
165
UDHR, article 2; ICCPR, articles 2, 3 and 26; CEDAW, preambular paragraphs 3, 9 and 14, and articles 2(d)-(f), 3, 5(a) and 7(b); Declaration on
Discrimination against Women, article 1.
166
Code of Conduct, eighth preambular paragraph, subparagraph (a); SMRTP, rule 53.
144
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