. “On this day, by illuminating buildings around the world, including once again the Belém Palace, we commemorate a persistent human rights problem that cannot be neglected, but combated, in the world and in Portugal,” says Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in a message on the presidency’s website.
For the Head of State, gender violence is a global problem impacting the lives of millions of women, affecting not only the direct victims, but also families, communities and society as a whole, as it is an obstacle to promoting equality. and sustainable development”.
The President of the Republic also leaves an appeal, “to all Portuguese men and women”, to “cooperate resolutely in the elimination of all forms of violence against women, and to join the campaign promoted by the Secretary General of the Nations Unidas António Guterres entitled ‘UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign'”.
International statistics say that every hour that passes, five women or girls are murdered by someone in the family. In 2021, one in five women between the ages of 20 and 24 married before the age of 18. And at some point in their lives, one in three women has been the victim of violent acts.
“Efficiency and quality require resources. It is necessary to recognize the clear deficit that exists, both in the security forces, in the leadership of the criminal investigation – with the Member of Parliament – and in the judicial officers.”
On Thursday, during an intervention at the III National Forum against Domestic Violence in Lisbon, the Republic’s Attorney General said that the fight against domestic violence must be strengthened with more resources for investigations and support for victims.
Lucília Gago assured that the limitation of human resources in the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) and in the legal system hinders the expansion of agencies to prevent and combat this phenomenon, namely the Specialized Integrated Departments for Domestic Violence (SEIVD).
“Since 2020, the SEIVD model cannot be expanded because there are no parliamentary magistrates and court officials that allow its existence and continuity, which generates natural frustration,” the judge said. “Effectiveness and quality require resources. It is necessary to recognize the clear deficit that exists both in the security forces, in the leadership of the criminal investigation – with the MP – and in the judicial officers,” he also said.
While emphasizing that “people are saved every day” from this scourge, the Attorney General of the Republic regretted that there are still too many victims, “including children and young people”, and that this will only happen in the first nine months of 2023 will happen. there are 18 deaths (16 women, one child and one man) in this context, according to data from the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG). According to the same statistics, 28 people died from domestic violence last year (24 women and four children). In 2021 there were 23 (16 women, five children and two men).
“If we are serious about improving our performance, we cannot but demand the necessary resources,” he noted, noting that “there is still much to do” in this area.
Source: DN
