---
title: "Moldova boosts offender tracking with new electronic bracelets "
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/84733/moldova-boosts-offender-tracking-with-new-electronic-bracelets
published: 2026-09-09T14:38:00Z
language: en
author: "Liubomir Guțu"
section: "Social"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Moldova boosts offender tracking with new electronic bracelets 

> Moldova took delivery of its first 60 electronic surveillance bracelets on Thursday to monitor domestic abuse offenders, following public outrage over a fatal femicide in Criuleni district that triggered high-level resignations.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/ec5391f3-bdc1-4ba4-998d-6ce076c80824.jpg)

Moldova took delivery of its first 60 electronic surveillance bracelets on Thursday to monitor domestic abuse offenders, following public outrage over a fatal femicide in Criuleni district that triggered high-level resignations.

**Emergency procurement to replace flawed monitoring devices**

The consignment represents 30% of an emergency batch of 200 bracelets pledged by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan. The remaining 140 devices are scheduled to arrive by the end of the month, the government press service announced.

*“The electronic bracelets are being received in stages. By tomorrow, 30% of the announced volume will be operational, and the entire consignment of 200 devices will arrive by month’s end,”* the government said in an official statement.

The procurement drive follows revelations by Prime Minister Tofan that earlier tenders failed because international suppliers shunned contracts deemed too small—initially valued at €90,000 for 200 units. The funding shortfall created an acute deficit at the National Probation Inspectorate (INP) and left existing devices plagued by technical flaws. In response, the cabinet doubled the procurement budget from 2 million to 4 million Moldovan lei (approx. €200,000).

**Systemic failure exposed by Criuleni tragedy**

Public scrutiny intensified following the August 31 murder of a woman in Măgdăcești, Criuleni district. Her husband, who was under court-ordered electronic surveillance, removed his monitoring ankle tag, murdered his wife at their home, and subsequently committed suicide. 

The victim had repeatedly sought judicial protection since July 13. Although authorities fitted an electronic tracker on August 25 following a second protection order, the device lost its GPS signal on the day of installation. The suspect subsequently left the country undetected between August 25 and August 30 before returning to commit the crime unmonitored.

Following the fatal security lapse, INP Director Viorel Sochircă stepped down on September 2, with the cabinet formalising his dismissal on September 9. Justice Minister Vladislav Cojuhari publicly acknowledged systemic failures in the tracking mechanism, noting that 354 individuals are currently under electronic surveillance across Moldova, including 190 registered domestic abusers.

**Five-point reform plan and civil society pressure**

On September 3, Prime Minister Tofan unveiled a five-point emergency reform package. Key measures include establishing automated border stop-orders for tracked offenders, granting the General Police Inspectorate direct access to the monitoring platform, toughening penalties for breaching protection orders, and replenishing equipment stockpiles.

The announcement coincided with protests on September 4 outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Chișinău, where activists from the Feminist Movement of Moldova demanded a state of emergency over domestic violence, calling for immediate institutional accountability and stringent protective safeguards for victims.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**
***

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