Safety measures

Restraining order and eviction from home

To protect you from repeated harassment, threats, and violence, the police can evict the perpetrator from your home or prohibit them from approaching you.

Written agreement

First, the police usually make a written agreement with the perpetrator that they will stay away from you. This is done when:

• the perpetrator has not shown a prior history of violence or harassment and it is believed that they will obey instructions.
• the perpetrator has not previously had a restraining order or been evicted from a home.

If they break the agreement, it is important that you report it to the police so that they can respond and apply stricter measures. This is done when milder actions are not considered likely to protect your safety.

Eviction from home

An individual is evicted from the home and prohibited from returning there for a specific period. The maximum length of eviction is 4 weeks.

The social services in your municipality receive information about the eviction so that assistance can be provided if needed. If a child is in the home, child protection services are also notified of the eviction.

Restraining order

An individual is prohibited from entering certain areas, trying to contact you, and stalking you. The maximum length of a restraining order is 1 year, but it is often shorter.

Penalty for violating a restraining order or eviction

Violation of a restraining order can lead to a fine or imprisonment for up to one year. If the violations are repeated or serious, the maximum penalty can be two years of imprisonment, but the sentence is usually shorter and even suspended. For a prison sentence to be applied, the violations usually need to be repeated and provable.

Who can request a restraining order or eviction?

• You, your family, or close associates.
• Social services or child protection services.
• The police can also decide to apply these measures on their own initiative.

Who makes the decision?

The Chief of Police decides whether a restraining order or eviction will be applied. They make a decision within 24 hours for eviction and within three days for a restraining order.

• Restraining order. The perpetrator can request that the courts confirm the decision. They have 2 weeks to do so.
• Eviction. The Chief of Police needs to have the courts confirm the decision within 3 days.

Request denied

If the request is denied, you can appeal the decision to the Director of Public Prosecutions within one month from the time you were notified of it.

More safety measures

If you believe you are in danger due to domestic violence or stalking, you can talk to the police to arrange safety measures. These measures cost nothing and can be used in conjunction with a restraining order.

Phone number monitoring

With a link to your phone, your phone number and address are marked when you call 112, and the police in your district receive the call directly. This measure is intended solely for you, so the perpetrator is unaware of it.

This means that:

• The police immediately see that there is danger and dispatch a police car to your home immediately.
• You do not need to provide any information over the phone; just calling is enough.
• This is often used in conjunction with a restraining order or as support in cases of stalking or domestic violence.

Emergency button

With an emergency button, you can call for help with a simple action. When you activate the button:

• A signal is sent to a security company that the police cooperate with.
• The security company notifies Emergency services (Neyðarlínan) and the police, and a police car is sent to the scene as quickly as possible.
• You can speak directly to responders through the button and request assistance.