A new law that took effect Jan. 1 grants police unprecedented power to protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers, marking a significant step in the fight against the problem, activists say.

According to the law, police attending a scene of domestic violence now have the right to remove the abuser from the home for 10 days. This provision will defuse the violence, at least temporarily, and give the victim time to seek help without fearing for her safety, says Eva Dundáčková, a Civic Democratic Party (ODS) member of the Chamber of Deputies.

One of three politicians who proposed the law last year, she believes this new legal step marks "great progress" in the fight against domestic violence. "This is the first-ever state intervention into the issue," she says. Many other European countries, including Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, already have similar laws in place.

As it is in many countries, domestic violence is a silent epidemic in the Czech Republic.

A 2004 study by the Sociological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences found that 38 percent of Czech women have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence from a male partner. Of those victims, one-quarter never reach out for help, either from professionals — law enforcement, counselors, therapists — or from friends or family, the study says.

"There's a major taboo. These things take place behind closed household doors," says Zdena Bednářová, director of the Acorus nonprofit organization for aiding domestic violence victims. "Women are often afraid to turn for help, as they feel guilt for what's happening to them."

Under the law, help should be within easier reach. All levels of police, with the exception of traffic patrols, will be able to make decisions on temporarily removing an abusive partner from a home. In the past, a woman trying to escape often had to flee her home, and victims were often held back by finances or by their children.

"Removing the culprit from the household is just the first step," Dundáčková says.

Within 48 hours, police are required to inform a local domestic-violence center, which will then contact the victim to offer aid. The abusive partner will also be offered rehabilitative counseling.

"The entire system should operate as one well-connected institution ... so that offering help would be a question of just a few hours," she says.

The law only applies in certain situations, though, she says. In order for police to put it into action, several conditions must be met: the violence must be repeated, the perpetrator must be clearly identified, and police must have been repeatedly summoned to the household to deal with domestic violence.

Raising awareness

Though the law marks a major step forward, it's no easy solution, says Branislava Vargová of Rosa, a nonprofit group that aids female abuse victims.

"A lot has to be done to make the law truly effective," she cautions.

Without proper training, police officers won't apply the law effectively, and without communication and cooperation between the various groups involved, the victims won't be reached. Awareness of the problem is key to helping the process run smoothly, she says.

Awareness has been improving in recent years, statistics show.

A survey by the STEM agency, released in October, found that Czechs are better informed than they were when a similar poll was taken in 2001. In 2006, 84 percent of respondents agreed that domestic violence is a serious problem that needs to be addressed; in 2001, only 61 percent agreed with that statement.

In 2001, 43 percent said domestic violence is a private family affair. In the recent survey, only 28 percent did.

However, most Czechs still underestimate the problem, Vargová says: "(Domestic violence) is a lot more widespread than the public tends to think."

The problem lies partly with the wording of the law, says Bednářová. "The state did not clearly define the problem for such a long time," she says.

Prior to June 2004, domestic violence wasn't differentiated from other cases of assault. Today, the crime of "abuse of a close person living in a joint household" isn't limited to the abuse of a person by his or her partner. Also, statistics on homicides aren't broken down into those committed by a partner or spouse.

In 2005, law enforcement logged 419 cases of domestic abuse across the country, Interior Ministry spokesman Zdeněk Zelenka says.

However, those numbers don't tell the whole story, says Bednářová. During that same period, 946 victims turned to Acorus for help.

There is still much work to be done, she says. Urban centers have a range of aid groups for abuse victims, but women living in rural areas often have nowhere to turn, Vargová says. Also, none of the aid hot lines for victims is currently toll-free, she says.