The Council of Europe urged the Portuguese government to implement new measures to combat violence against women, suggesting a helpline for all victims or restraining orders against all forms of violence.
The recommendations appear in the most recent report of the Group of Independent Experts of the Council of Europe on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention (GREVIO) in Portugal, which highlights the measures and progress achieved by the country in the implementation of the recommendations made by the group .
Despite acknowledging the progress, GREVIO “encourages the Government of Portugal to take further steps to implement the recommendations” made earlier, as soon as possible. increase efforts to “harmonize the level of support and protection for women victims of violence in all the country”.
It also suggests monitoring the implementation of measures taken to prevent and combat violence against women at the local level.
Another suggested measure is the creation of a helpline for victims of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention, operated by specialized personnel.
Recommends reforming the Penal Code to fully incorporate the provisions of the convention on the repression of crimes of sexual violence and bodily injury.
It also calls for measures to be taken to “ensure the availability and effective enforcement of restraining and protection orders in relation to all forms of violence against women, including harassment, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.”
In the report, the Council of Europe “welcomes the measures adopted and the progress achieved by Portugal”highlighting the efforts to strengthen the scope of policies to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence.
GREVIO highlights the improvement in data collection on all forms of violence against women, the diversification of training models and the improvement of primary and secondary prevention “through the implementation of an ambitious and standardized plan of common training for professionals from different sectors”. .
It also praises the improvement in immediate protection mechanisms within 72 hours of filing a complaint for domestic violence and the new measures to prevent and combat “harmful traditional practices”, including female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
For GREVIO, “the greater involvement of the health sector in the identification and support of victims of the different forms of gender violence as part of a new national program for the prevention of violence in the life cycle” and the expansion and greater specialization of the National Network of Support for Victims of Domestic Violence.
It also refers to the measures adopted to protect child victims of domestic violence, namely, through psychological support and better coordination between the areas of criminal law and family law, the reforms to the Penal Code to include economic violence as a form of domestic violence violence and the simplification of the system for obtaining victim status.
Source: Observadora
