Domestic violence includes various forms of physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence towards the perpetrator’s close relatives. Until recently, this form of violence was considered part of the private sphere of the individual and as such was beyond the sanction of the legislator. The problem was legally standardized for the first time by international law in the form of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in 2011., thanks to the practice of the ECHR and the knowledge that the most frequent victims of violence are women and girls. The thesis deals with some of the judgments of the ECHR against the Republic of Croatia on domestic violence, analyzes the provisions of the Istanbul Convention and the success of their implementation in the Croatian legislation, as well as positive changes in the fight against domestic violence. The author points to shortcomings in the actions of competent authorities and emphasizes the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems and the importance of prevention and education about the nature of domestic violence at all levels of society.