Can an abuser be removed from the home immediately?
Yes — and it happens on the spot, during the call-out. The police have the power to decide on separation immediately: the abuser must leave the home, and is forbidden to approach or contact the victim. The decision takes effect at once and lasts up to 8 days. No written application to the police is needed — that is the key difference from the court route. Then comes the court: an application for temporary protection against violence can be submitted through the police during the call-out itself, or directly by you to the court — even where the police were never called. And the court has a deadline: it must decide on the application no later than the next working day after receiving it.
📋 The rules
- Police may separate immediately
- Separation lasts up to 8 days
- No written application to police is needed
- The court decides by the next working day
- You can also apply yourself
🔓 Exceptions
- An application to the court can be made even if the police were never called
- The application can be submitted through the police during the call-out itself
- Protection can forbid approaching, contacting and staying in the home
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Two routes, and both can be used. The first is police separation: it happens immediately, during the call-out, with no written application, and lasts up to 8 days — that is the window in which to reach the court. The second is court-ordered temporary protection, which can forbid approaching, contacting and staying in the home for considerably longer. The court must decide by the next working day — though in practice that deadline is not always met, as the supervisory institutions themselves acknowledge. Practically: keep everything — messages, call-out times, medical records, photographs. Breaching a separation order is a ground in itself to call the police again, and it carries consequences.
📎 Official sources
- likumi.lv · Rules on temporary protection against violence →
- Ombudsman · Temporary protection →
- State Police →
❓ Frequently asked
Can the police remove an abuser at once?
They can. The police have the power to decide on separation immediately, requiring the abuser to leave the home and forbidding them to approach or contact the victim. The decision takes effect straight away.
How long does separation last?
A police separation decision is valid for up to eight days. It is intended as the window in which the victim can apply to the court for temporary protection against violence.
Do I have to write an application to the police?
You do not. For several years now no written application to the police has been required for a separation decision, and that is the main difference from the court route, where an application is needed.
How quickly does the court decide?
The court must decide on an application for temporary protection against violence no later than the next working day after receiving it, although in practice that deadline is not always met.
Can I go to court without the police?
You can. The victim may submit an application to the court directly — even where the police were never called, or where no application was passed on through them during a call-out.
🔎 Common searches
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