ارزیابی اعمال عدالت ترمیمی در پرونده‌‌های همسرآزاری در ایران

اگرچه خشونت خانگی بویژه همسرآزاری، یکی از مهم‌‌ترین دغدغه‌‌های اجتماعی عصر حاضر به شمار می‌‌رود، در حقوق ایران، همسرآزاری مستقلاً جرم‌‌انگاری نشده و مصادیق آن، تحت عناوین مجرمانه‌‌ی عمومی (ضرب‌‌وجرح، توهین، تهدید و...) به فرایندهای کیفری راه می‌‌یابند. حال آنکه ضمانت‌اجراهای کیفری جرایم عمومی برای تامین اصلی‌‌ترین نیاز بزهدیدگان (توقف خشونت بدون تهدید خانواده به فروپاشی)، کافی و موثر به نظر نمی‌‌رسند. این پژوهش با رویکردی توصیفی تحلیلی به منظور واکاوی امکان کابرد عدالت ترمیمی در پرونده‌‌های همسرآزاری و شناسایی مزیت‌‌ها و چالش‌‌های احتمالی آن، صورت گرفته و داده‌‌های مورد نیاز، از رهگذر مطالعه‌‌ی پرونده‌‌های همسرآزاری و انجام مصاحبه‌‌های عمیق با بزهدیدگان، قضات و کارشناسان گردآوری شده است. یافته‌‌های پژوهش نشان دادند که عدالت ترمیمی به‌‌مراتب بهتر از عدالت کیفری می‌‌تواند به نیازهای همسران آزاردیده پاسخ دهد و قانون مجازات اسلامی و قانون آیین دادرسی کیفری نیز از ظرفیت‌‌های مناسبی برای کاربرد عدالت ترمیمی در پرونده‌‌های همسرآزاری برخوردارند. با این حال، فراهم‌‌نبودن بسترهای اجرایی مناسب، سبب شده تا در عمل، از ظرفیت‌‌های قانونی موجود برای حل‌‌وفصل مسالمت‌‌آمیز پرونده‌‌های همسرآزاری بهره‌‌ی چندانی برده نشود و در معدود موارد ارجاع‌‌شده به فرایندهای ترمیمی نیز، به علت بی‌‌توجهی به اصول بنیادین عدالت ترمیمی، حصول نتیجه‌‌ی مطلوب در هاله‌‌ای از ابهام قرار گیرد.

evaluation of restorative justice in domestic violence in iran

a common form of domestic violence is intimate partner violence. according to statistics from the world health organization (who), in industrialized countries, about 24% of married women have experienced physical or sexual abuse by their husbands at least once. this rate increases to approximately 37% (about 1 in 3 women) in middle eastern countries such as iran.however, domestic violence is not explicitly criminalized under iranian criminal law. as a result, such cases are typically prosecuted under general offences such as assault and battery, threats, insults, and slander. yet, the penalties for these general offences often prove insufficient and ineffective in addressing domestic violence, due to the unique nature of spousal abuse—including the marital relationship between the perpetrator and the victim, the repetitive character of the violence, and the broader impact on third parties such as children.on the one hand, requiring a wealthy husband to pay diya (compensation) to the victim in cases of physical assault, or a fine to the government in cases of insult or slander, neither alleviates the victim’s suffering nor deters the perpetrator from repeating the abuse. on the other hand, when the husband is insolvent, the victim receives no diya, and in other cases, the frequent judicial tendency to suspend sentences without mandating any corrective programs further undermines the deterrent effect of punishment. additionally, the criminal justice system in iran is offender-oriented and does not actively involve the victim in the justice process. filing a criminal complaint against a husband may also threaten the survival of the marriage, which the wife may not wish to end through divorce.given the inefficiencies of the current criminal justice system—both in preventing reoffending and addressing victims’ needs—several critical questions arise: is it possible to apply restorative justice within iran’s criminal law framework? if so, what are the potential benefits of restorative justice in such cases? and what factors must be considered to ensure the effectiveness of restorative justice in addressing domestic violence?this research employs a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical method to explore the applicability of restorative justice in domestic violence cases, identify its benefits, and examine the challenges that may arise in its implementation. methodolgy to answer the above questions, in addition to using library resources, two other methods were employed for data collection: content analysis of 25 criminal and family court cases related to domestic violence, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with a diverse group of stakeholders, including 45 victims, 20 judges, 15 attorneys, and 20 family health specialists (psychiatrists, psychologists, couples therapists, counselors, and social workers).findingsthe research findings indicate that restorative justice can address the needs and expectations of domestic violence victims more effectively than the traditional criminal justice system. moreover, there are existing legal provisions within iran’s penal code and criminal procedure code that provide a foundation for applying restorative justice. however, the lack of proper infrastructure and implementation mechanisms—such as insufficient and inappropriate spaces for restorative meetings and the absence of training programs for judges and attorneys—has significantly hindered the practical application of restorative justice in domestic violence cases.