The parliamentary leader of the PS admitted on Tuesday that he would introduce a legislative deepening against domestic violence, but defended that the essential is done in the normative plan and that a transversal struggle is needed at the social level.
This position was put forward by Eurico Brilhante Dias at a session promoted by the socialist bank of the Mário Soares and Maria Barroso Foundation in Lisbon, and was endorsed by Francisco Assis, President of the Economic and Social Council (CES), the entity that has an opinion on this phenomenon.
“Domestic violence has a relatively stable legislative framework, because it has long been a public crime, for example. A different approach is important and that is why we did not take any legislative initiative at the beginning of this legislature,” justified the chairman of the PS group.
Eurico Brilhante Dias regretted that the number of cases remains significant in 2022 and in the first months of this year and argued that “a more transversal and in-depth look at this phenomenon” is essential, with elements related to education, training of judicial staff and of police services and communications.
However, on a legislative level, according to the party leader of the PS, based on the CES report, there are “three or four dimensions that can be explored further”.
“Among the contributions of the CES, there are measures related to the removal of the aggressor from the family home. This is one of the topics on which we can go further, but above all we must study it,” he stressed.
At that time, the President of the Socialist Women, Elza Pais, speaking after Eurico Brilhante Dias, supported this amendment of the law to remove the aggressor from the victim, in an intervention in which she stressed the importance of all measures. taken to “reverse the curve of the increase in domestic violence”.
In addition to the issue of removing the aggressor, the president of the PS parliamentary group referred to issues related to the victim’s access to justice — “a central element” — as well as a problem surrounding the complaint and the offspring in a third-party context intervention.
“Deep thought needs to be given to hate crimes, particularly in the promotion of domestic violence through various channels. And the circumstances of aggravated homicide still need to be considered.” [em que a vítima morre]. This is a very sensitive dimension and has been identified by us”he added.
Francisco Assis agreed with the approach of the party chairman of the PS, who framed the fight against the phenomenon of domestic violence in the “struggle for a democratic society”.
This phenomenon, argues Francisco Assis, has in its origin “exposed the deep inequality between men and women that persists in society, where there is still a long way to go”.
“We can’t just strive for a democratic regime, we have to fight for a democratic society. And democracy has to do with two essential words: freedom and equality. One more,” the president of the CES stressed.
As Eurico Brilhante Dias said before, Francisco Assis also said that he follows the idea that the greatest concern, in terms of combating domestic violence, is at the normative level.
“I am well aware that our lawyers are extremely creative and those of the PS in particular,” he said, while PS deputy Isabel Moreira listened to him in the front row and made the audience laugh.
According to the chairman of the PS, the most important legislative changes in the field of combating domestic violence “have already been implemented and to a large extent by PS governments”.
“Now there must also be changes in other areas. It is necessary to invest more in cultural change,” emphasized the former MEP and party leader of the PS.
Source: DN
