“Tolerance”, “sensitivity”, “single parliamentary protocol”, “ceding” or “openness”? The certainty is that the “indication” [vinda do governo] that “the petition with 107 thousand people [permitindo que os projetos de BE, IL, PAN e Chega descessem à discussão na especialidade sem votação] and that a wide public debate would then be opened about itwon.
In this Friday’s vote, the socialist bill extending the period for charging rape from six months to one year and strengthening legal support was passed by “unanimous vote” – a phrase that Cláudia Santos, deputy of the PS, underlined – allowing the “parliamentary protocol” to work: all requests to “go” the remaining proposals to the Committee on Constitutional Affairs were approved.
“Tolerance”, which was asked for on Thursday, is now possible, Joana Mortágua, deputy of the BE, defends that “a project is being worked on that better responds to the criticism that was expressed [por PS e PSD sobre os argumentos para converter o crime de violação em crime público] and ultimately, within the consecration of a public crime, can build a series of warranties regarding the victim”.
I.e: “Ultimately a more moderate public crime, as APAV proposes, but above all that it is a consensual project between the parties proposing public crime and that a single project can be put to a vote. We will always raise the issue of public crime set votes”.
The bloquista deputy defends the need to hear “experts, penalists, people who are on the ground to help us build a balanced project in the context of public crime” because, it may even happen, hopes Joana Mortágua, that “those who are absolutely against public crime still have time to realize that the concerns they raise are answered in our project”.
Cláudia Santos, a PS deputy, refers all questions about what “is to follow” to the leadership of the parliamentary bench, but ensures that the question of public crime, “as requested”, “does not deserve the consent of the PS”.
A socialist source contacted by DN believes that the “remittance” could enable a new legal construction that “guarantees more security for all women and that offenders are punished, thus avoiding new violations. That is based on the silence of the victims”.
“I hope, we hope that there is sensitivity in the PS to further improve victim protection than our project foresees”, emphasizes another socialist source.
Among the various “ideas”, shared by various delegates, and in order to achieve “consensus”, the “possibility, I would even say the necessity, of granting raped women an enhanced victim status immediately after the complaint”; “for the victim to undergo the exams, the medico-legal expertise, right after the rape and that the evidence be kept until the woman decides to press charges”; and, for example, also obliging the Public Prosecution Service to act in “all violation situations that occur on social networks”.”.
Paula Cardoso, deputy leader of the PSD parliamentary group, admits that despite saying that “the views are a bit extreme”, and rejecting public crime – “it’s very clear to the PSD” – that “if there is a solution that does not endanger the victim, that does not instrumentalize him, that uses means of support, comfortable, that guarantees the social and psychological safety of the victim” and if “it is curative and not punitive for the victim “in which case the PSD is “allowed to think”.
It is guaranteed that, emphasizes the deputy, “they still have not succeeded in convincing us that it is better to change it, to make it a public crime, than to keep it as it is: semi-public. Neither the PSD, nor the PS, nor the PCP”.
Paula Cardoso makes it clear that the “mitigating” solutions presented so far are “lower” than “a person being forced to file a complaint: a woman cannot be forced to appear in court to say that she doesn’t want a lawsuit”.
Francisca Magalhães Barros, the first signatory of the petition, which collected nearly 107 thousand signatures – Manuela Eanes, Dulce Rocha, Isabel Aguiar Branco, Garcia Pereira, Rui Pereira, Joana Mortágua, Paula Teixeira da Cruz, Teresa Morais, Teresa Leal Coelho, Maria Castello Branco, Catarina Furtado, Nuno Markl, Carolina Deslandes, Clara Sottomayor, Teresa Féria, Teresa Pizarro Beleza and Helena Pereira de Melo are names that are part of those who defend public crime – hopes Friday’s decision “is not just a matter of goodwill”.
“I address everyone, on my own behalf and on behalf of 107,000 people, but especially as an appeal on behalf of the many victims who have signed: I still don’t understand how we can be so anachronistic. Only Portugal and San Marino, in the Council of Europe, have not turned rape into a public crime, unlike Spain, France, the United Kingdomhe says.
The painter and activist leaves a question: “Are you telling me that a woman who is assaulted and raped in the context of domestic violence can get our help, but the one who is raped, outside of that context, has to go through it alone? It is scary.”
Source: DN
