Crimes against women and children have declined over the past year in Kazakhstan, a trend attributed to a sweeping new law on domestic violence. Despite these gains, authorities caution that women and children remain at significant risk from abuse.
Persistent Challenge
On June 16, 2024, Kazakhstan’s Law on Ensuring the Rights of Women and the Safety of Children came into force, having been signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev two months earlier. Since the outset of his presidency, Tokayev has identified combating domestic violence as a top policy priority.
Children’s Ombudsman Dinara Zakieva reported that roughly 900 crimes against the sexual integrity of minors are recorded annually. Since the law’s enactment, at least 25 individuals convicted of sexual violence against children have received life sentences.
Meanwhile, according to Marat Abishev of the General Prosecutor’s Office, at least 80 women die from domestic violence each year. Law enforcement officials stress that official statistics significantly underreport the true extent of domestic abuse. Surveys suggest that one in three women in Kazakhstan has experienced physical violence, threats, or psychological pressure.
The new law has introduced tougher criminal penalties for domestic abuse, as well as protective and preventative mechanisms. Amendments to the Criminal Code now bar lenient sentences for crimes involving violence against minors and prohibit reconciliation between victims and perpetrators in such cases. The sole punishment for the murder or rape of a minor is now life imprisonment.
The law also establishes liability for the sexual harassment of persons under 16 and introduces penalties for inciting or abetting suicide.
Initial Results
State Secretary Yerlan Karin recently shared data showing early progress under the new legislation. In the first five months of 2025, reports of domestic violence dropped by 20.5% compared to the same period in 2024. The number of serious domestic crimes fell by 29%, while particularly serious offenses declined by 44%.
Crimes against the sexual integrity of minors decreased by 21.3%, and pedophilia-related offenses dropped by 40.7%.
Karin noted that crimes against women have halved over the past five years, crediting stricter penalties and improved prevention efforts for the amelioration. He also highlighted a rise in the detection of domestic violence cases, facilitated by a new mechanism allowing authorities to launch investigations without a complaint from the victim. Between January and May 2025, more than 19,000 such cases were identified through mobile patrol units, police reports, witness statements, and social media monitoring.
To improve reporting mechanisms, QR codes for the national 111 contact center are now displayed in schools. This has led to a spike in outreach: in the first five months of 2025, children sent more than 86,000 messages, with over 2,000 seeking help for violence or bullying. In 28 cases, potential suicides were prevented. Adults also placed over 62,000 calls to the center, many concerning domestic violence.
Kazakhstan currently operates 20 psychological support centers and family support services in 112 districts and cities. A new prevention initiative, mandatory psychological counseling for aggressors, was introduced this year, with courts ordering 52 individuals to participate.
Legal Reversal on the Horizon?
Despite these improvements, newly proposed legislation has sparked concern. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has introduced a draft bill, On Crime Prevention, which seeks to consolidate five laws, including the 2009 Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence, into a single legal framework.
Critics, including Professor Muslim Khasenov, warn that the consolidation may dilute legal protections for victims. Speaking at a meeting of the Public Chamber in the Mazhilis, Khasenov said the draft includes just one article on domestic violence, reducing the issue to a list of general forms and preventive measures.
“While these measures may theoretically apply to domestic violence, in practice there’s a high risk that the specific nature of such crimes will be overlooked,” Khasenov said. He noted that most post-Soviet states maintain separate domestic violence laws that reflect the distinct dynamics of such offenses.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Lepekha has responded by issuing assurances that key reforms, such as harsher penalties for assault and minor bodily harm, will be preserved. The ministry states that the draft law is part of a broader reform of Kazakhstan’s law enforcement and legal system.
The issue of domestic violence has been the subject of much public scrutiny in recent years, particularly since the live-streamed trial of Former Minister of the National Economy, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, for the murder of his common-law wife, Saltanat Nukenova, in November 2023. Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
