Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) ____________________________________________ Report submitted by Iceland pursuant to Article 68, paragraph 1 of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Baseline Report) Received by GREVIO on 3 September 2021 GREVIO/Inf(2021)9 Published on 9 September 2021 Baseline report by the government of Iceland - on legislative and other measures giving effect to the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul-Convention) Government of Iceland Publisher: Government of Iceland September 2021 Design: Ministry of Justice ©2019 2 Table of contents 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................6 2. Integrated policy and data collection .....................................................................................7 A. Strategies and action plans ............................................................................................7 B. Allocation of financial resources .....................................................................................10 C. Civil society co-operation and support ...........................................................................11 D. Official bodies for coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation ...............14 E. Data Collection ................................................................................................................16 F. Research conducted or supported by the Government ................................................19 G. Population based surveys ...............................................................................................20 3. Prevention ................................................................................................................................22 A. Campaigns and programmes ..........................................................................................22 B. Inclusion of teaching material in formal education curricula ........................................25 C. Inital training of professionals .........................................................................................28 D. In-service training of professionals .................................................................................30 E. Support programmes for perpetrators ............................................................................32 F. Support programs for sex offenders ..............................................................................34 G. The private sector and the media .................................................................................35 H. Self-regulatory standards (for the ICT sector and the media) .....................................36 I. Measures to encourage protocols or guidelines ...........................................................36 J. Other taken or planned measures to prevent violence against women .....................37 4. Protection and support............................................................................................................39 A. Information on support services and legal measures available to victims ..................39 B1. General support services .................................................................................................41 3 B2. Healthcare and social services .......................................................................................42 B3. Number of female victims of violence assisted by health and social services ...........43 C. Information on complaints mechanisms .........................................................................43 D. Specialist women's support services ..............................................................................44 E. Telephone helplines ........................................................................................................45 F. Rights and needs of child witnesses .............................................................................46 G. Other measures ...............................................................................................................47 5. Substantive law .......................................................................................................................49 A. Legal framework ..............................................................................................................49 B. Guidance on implementation of legal framework ..........................................................50 C. Civil remedies ..................................................................................................................51 D. Compensation from perpetrators and state compensation ...........................................52 E. Custody and visitation rights of children .......................................................................52 F. Criminalisation of certain forms of violence ..................................................................53 G. Legislation against sexual harassment ..........................................................................56 H. Aiding or abetting ............................................................................................................56 I. Attempts ...........................................................................................................................57 J. Unacceptable justifications for crime ..............................................................................57 K. Applicability notwithstanding the relationship between perpetrator and victim ............57 L. Applicable sanctions and further measures in relation to perpetrators .......................57 M. Aggravating circumstances ..............................................................................................58 N. Prohibition of mandatory alternative dispute resolution processes or sentencing ......58 O. Administrative and judicial data on cases of violence and murder .............................59 P. Other measures ...............................................................................................................60 6. Investigation, prosecution and procedural law and protective measures ............................61 A. Measures to ensure a prompt and appropriate response from law enforcement agencies ...........................................................................................................................61 4 B. Risk assessment .............................................................................................................62 C. Emergency barring orders ..............................................................................................62 D. Restraining or protection orders – legal framework.......................................................63 E. Administrative and judicial data on restraining and protection orders .........................64 F. Ex officio legal proceedings ...........................................................................................65 G. Ex parte legal proceedings .............................................................................................65 H. Support for victims in legal proceedings .......................................................................65 I. Measures of protection available during investigation and judicial proceedings .........66 J. Free legal aid ..................................................................................................................67 7. Migration and asylum/immigrants ...........................................................................................68 A. Autonomous residence permits.......................................................................................68 B. Gender based violence as a form of persecution for asylum claims .........................70 C. Gender-sensitive procedures ...........................................................................................71 D. Non-refoulment .................................................................................................................72 E. Other measures taken in relation to the protection of migrant women victims and women asylum seekers in the area of immigration and refugee law .........................72 Appendix .........................................................................................................................................74 5 September 2021 1. Introduction Iceland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (hereafter the Istanbul Convention) in April 2018 and the Convention entered into force in August of the same year. The public administration is responsible for the implementation of the Convention in Iceland, with support from the various NGOs involved in the fight against violence whose role is to provide victims of violence with various services and counselling. The Icelandic government places strong emphasis on human rights regardless of gender and on ensuring everyone can live without violence in their lives. For many years the government has therefore emphasised efforts against gender-based violence and in recent years a number of actions have been taken aimed at combating domestic violence and sexual violence. This is the first