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- Ελληνικά
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Advisory Committee to Prevent and Combat Violence in the Family (ACPCF) stresses that violence against women is the most serious form of gender discrimination perpetrated in the context of gendered power relations between men and women.
Violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world with statistics showing it to be pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, primarily by a partner. Femicide is the result of chronic, systematic abuse of a woman, culminating in death.
In its 27 years of operation, the FCCA, over time, has played a leading role on multiple levels in the field of domestic/sexual violence, such as legislative changes to related Family/Criminal Law laws, promotion of inter-agency cooperation between the services involved, creation of structures such as the Women's House to support women victims of violence and their children, specialised training for professionals involved in the field, etc.In 2023, within the framework of its competences under Law 119(I)/2000 on Violence in the Family, the FPCVO, in 2023, submitted the following legislative issues to the relevant parliamentary committees:
- Harmonization of Law 119(I)/2000 on Violence in the Family (Prevention and Protection of Victims) with Law 115(I)/2021.
- Ensuring the working conditions of women victims of domestic/sexual violence as a vulnerable group regarding the preparation of regulations in Law 207(I)/2020).
- Lifting of the reservation in Article 30 (2) "Compensation" made by the Republic of Cyprus at the time of signing the Istanbul Convention. The right to compensation for victims is already covered by Law 51(I)/1997, where state compensation is very specific (donated medical care, sickness benefits, disability pension, pension to dependants in case of death of the victim and funeral expenses) and leaves no room for abuse. In the last 10 years only 48 applications for compensation for victims of violent crime have been submitted, which shows that the reservation is unnecessary. The FCCA also stressed the need to modernise Act 51(I)/1997.
- Lifting of the reservation in Article 59 "Status of residence" made by the Republic of Cyprus when signing the Istanbul Convention. Intimidation for deportation/loss of residence status is a powerful tool in the hands of the perpetrators. Article 26(2)(c) of Law 7(I)/2007 does not cover migrant spouses of Cypriot citizens. The FCCA recommended that the reservation be lifted, after amending Article 26(2)(c) of Law 7(I)/2007 to cover (a) all forms of violence provided for in Law 115(I)/2021, (b) female migrant spouses of Cypriot citizens and (c) undocumented migrant women, on the basis of criteria (e.g. provision of a certificate that the victim was served by the Women's House, a complaint to the Police, etc.) which will act as safeguards against any abuses.
- Horizontal application of Article 31 (2) of the Istanbul Convention. Linking domestic/partner violence against women with ensuring the principle of the best interests of the child in matters of guardianship, custody and communication rights has attracted the interest of international organizations and institutions such as the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. The FCCC has recommended the horizontal amendment of all relevant Family Law legislation regarding the issue.
- Access of victims of violence to free legal aid (Law 165(I)/2002). The access of victims of violence to the right to free legal aid is impossible, thus rendering article 23 of Law 115(I)/2021 unenforceable, leaving Cyprus exposed to article 57 of the Istanbul Convention. Regarding Law 165(I)/2002, the FCCA proposed: (a) the inclusion of issuing protective orders (Article 6 (b)); the inclusion of all victims of violence against women/domestic violence and all forms of child abuse so that there is no discrimination against victims of violence (Article 6D); (c) the exclusion of all victims of violence from the socio-economic report of the CSOs, and to be entitled to free legal aid by submitting to the Court only a certificate from a competent agency certifying either that they are served by the Women's House or that they are in a Shelter or that they have made a complaint to the Police (Article 7).
In addition, within the framework of its legal responsibilities for the training of the professionals involved, the SEPCBO carried out the following:
Seminars
On 10 October 2023, the SEPCBO held a Scientific Workshop on "Safe & Together Model", with Mr. David Mandel, international expert on domestic violence issues, who presented the "Safe & Together Model" to improve the implementation of systems/procedures for inter-agency cooperation between the services involved in cases of domestic violence involving children:
- "Violence against Women and Domestic Violence", as part of the Administrative and Professional Skills Development Programme for Sergeants (No.116) and Sergeants (No.117) on 3 March 2023 and 24 November 2023.
- "Gender-based violence: Manifestations, Interpretations, Attitudes" as part of the Training Programme for Police Members Managing Cases of Vulnerable Persons on 20 October 2023.
Participation in European programmes/seminars. [*]Online participation in the European Conference "Safe & Together Model: Changing Systems Globally" in London, 10-12 May 2023. [*]Online Professional Education for Physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals on Domestic Violence (Opep) in Barcelona, 16-19 October 2023. [/LIST]
The SEPCBO will continue to take the lead in advocating for the rights of women victims of domestic/sexual violence to ensure their support/protection.
(AF/NZ)
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