Bribery, crime and police abuse in Moldova

1. Bribery, crime and police abuse in Moldova Findings of the Soros Foundation - Moldova Victimisation Survey 2010

2. Introduction • The Soros Foundation - Moldova (FSM) Victimisation Survey 2010 seeks to: • Measure levels of victimisation • Measure perceptions of the criminal justice system • Measure confidence in police and justice.

3. Survey Methodology • Representative survey of the population of Moldova carried out over March-April 2010 • Households selected using complex sample design with stratification and clustering, covering 37 urban locations and 134 rural locations, and resulting in 3018 interviews • Data subsequently weighted by age, sex and rural/urban status according to the population of Republic of Moldova aged 16 – 75 years as published by the National Bureau.

4. Analysis • Victim numbers estimated with weighted data • Compared with 2008 survey where appropriate • Margin of error on both surveys +/- 1.8% • Regression analysis and significance testing carried out to identify significant relationships between variables • “Significant” means the relationships identified cannot be ascribed to chance • All relationships identified are to the 95% probability i.e. there is only a 5% chance they are random.

5. Interpretation • Findings discussed with FSM criminal justice think-tank members to interpret meaning in Moldovan context • Implications and recommendations based on thorough understanding of Moldovan criminal justice context.

6. Crime perceptions • “Crime has not improved, crime has become more violent” • Most serious negative perceptions associated with blaming low police qualifications for perceived crime rise • The perception that personal safety has worsened also associated with blaming lower police qualifications for crime • This suggests that addressing the issue of police qualifications will have a favourable impact on those feeling most personally threatened by crime.

7. Criminal justice perceptions • Only 6% see an improvement in all parts of the criminal justice system • The average rating out of five people give for the police is 2.97, for prosecutors 3.01, judges 3.02, and defenders 3.15. • Reforms have not had a favourable impact – or have failed to outweigh other factors which have negatively impacted on public confidence

8. Victimisation • Almost half (46%) of Moldovan people have been a victim of at least one crime in the last five years; a third (33%) were a victim in 2009 • This implies 942 500 people victim to at least one crime in 2009 and 1 313 811 over the last five years • This compares to the 127 167 crimes recorded by the Ministry of the Interior over the last five years. This result is more than 10 times higher than recorded crime • Reporting rate one third does not fully account for discrepancy

10. Victimisation Trends • Women comprise the majority of victims of crime and are more likely to be victims • Young people are more likely to be victims • Wealthier, urban educated more likely to be victims • Minority status not a factor • A small proportion of people being repeatedly victimised accounts for the majority of crime counts in Moldova

12. Trafficking • 67000 experienced trafficking during 2009 • 1 in 12 reported the incident to the police • more than half reported to the police of the country they were in, not Moldova • Police should have agreements in place with trafficking destination countries • Households who experienced trafficking were more than three times as likely to have been attacked or threatened • Witness protection should be available to trafficked persons

13. Theft out of motor vehicle • 14% of households with cars experienced theft out of a motor-vehicle in last 5 years • Most (71%) do not report • People who have experienced theft out of motor vehicle are less likely (30%) than people who are victims of other crimes (34%) to say that police protect them • Reducing theft out of motor vehicles would have a strongly positive impact on confidence in the police

14. Stock theft • Stock-theft triples the risk of burglary (from 5% to 15%). In other words households who have experienced stock-theft are three times more likely than other households to also experience a burglary. • This suggests that the crimes happen at the same time, or that stock-theft is a risk factor for burglary. • Living in smaller households, being poorer (lower than median income), and being a member of the majority Moldovan/Romanian group all increases the likelihood of stock theft.

15. Burglary • People who have experienced burglary more than once are less likely to report the incident to the police • Having some form of physical protection such as burglar bars reduces risk slightly • Having dogs also reduces risk • Vigilant and caring neighbours offer best protection

16. Sexual abuse • 35 000 women in Moldova have been sexually abused in the last 5 years • Only 6% reported to the police • A third said they were afraid and two fifths said they police would do nothing • 15% involved more than one person and 48% involved a stranger • More than half occurred neither at home nor work • The risk of women experiencing physical attacks or threats is three times higher among sexual abuse victims

17. Threats and attacks • Two scenarios of typical incidents • a known, single unarmed perpetrator away from home • suggestive of domestic or neighbourhood disputes being aired in public • unknown perpetrators possibly armed and possibly located closer to home. • suggestive of territorial gangs located in the victims’ neighbourhood. • associated with drug prevalence • associated with victims under 30

18. Bribery • Together almost a third (30%) of people in Moldova were asked for or offered a bribe or did both in 2009 • Half (50%) of people under 30 who live in Chisinau were asked for or offered a bribe or both in 2009 • “Serial bribers” 7% paid 56% of the total bribes paid in 2009

19. Bribery among police • 8% of people who had contact with police in the last five years were asked for or offered a bribe in 2009 • 19% of people beaten by police in the last five years were asked or offered a bribe in 2009

20. Bribery among judges • Just under 1% of population = 20 228 people said they were asked for or offered a bribe • There are only 433 judges • Contact with judges rare • 2008 survey 5% in last 3 years had contact with judges • Half the people going to court in Moldova each year compromise the case in which they are involved by a bribe. • 41% of people say it is “very likely” that a person could solve a problem by a bribe to a judge

21. Police abuse of suspects • 15% of men detained in 5 years beaten • 27 000 men were detained and beaten over the last five years. • 40% of men detained in last 5 years were either beaten or maltreated & 21% of women detained say they were maltreated by the police • over 71 000 men and close to 16 000 women were detained and mistreated over the last five years • Failure to explain rights, call lawyer associated with mistreatment • Urgent reform required

22. Summary • High levels of fear • Much higher levels of actual victimisation than indicated by official data • Pervasive climate of bribery extending even to the judiciary • High levels of police abuse, poor police performance on human rights & protection of the law measures • Criminal justice in crisis?