Government Says PSD Domestic Violence Proposals Reflect Executive Plans

The Secretary of State for Equality and Migration considered this Wednesday that the proposals submitted by the SDP to combat domestic violence reflected the government’s plans and accused the party of inconsistency.

“The SDP mentioned that the assessment of the policy is negative, and I respect this position. The only thing I don’t understand is how, given the negative assessment, they are presenting six draft regulations that are aimed at ensuring that the government implements what is already in the plans,” said Isabel Almeida Rodriguez.

On Tuesday, the Social Democrats submitted eight diplomas on domestic violence to parliament, including two bills and six recommendations to the government, which they presented in plenary session this Wednesday during a scheduled debate on the same topic.

Among the draft resolutions, the party recommends that the government approve the Action Plans constituting the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination for 2018-2030 and the Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings; carry out activities in the field of preventing and combating dating violence; strengthen the specialized training of professionals involved in the prevention and combat of violence against women and domestic violence, and create a database on these crimes.

The SDP also wants the government to expand programs for the rehabilitation of perpetrators of domestic violence, especially young people, by developing partnerships with municipalities and strengthening human resources at the level of reintegration specialists.

“There seems to be some inconsistency here, because if the policy wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be here,” the Secretary of State said after a debate that lasted about two hours.

“But that’s good, it means we agree with the strategy,” added Isabel Almeida Rodriguez, citing, on the other hand, that the executive branch also sees itself in the priorities indicated by parliamentary groups regarding the need to increase support. for victims and to improve the quality of “decisions made on all aspects of the phenomenon of domestic violence, from network management to the judicial process”.

At the start of a debate scheduled by the SDP for the same date as International Women’s Day, Social Democrat MP Monica Kintela accused the government of a “decisive failure” in the fight against domestic violence, believing that the problem was not with the legal regime, but with ” extreme lack of funds and human resources.

On behalf of the government, the Undersecretary for Parliamentary Affairs applauded the Social Democrats for bringing the issue to the plenary but believes that domestic violence “is not a problem that can be solved with more laws, more articles or more number of laws. regarding PSD proposals.

“What is really needed is that all agents enforce the law, that the government continues to implement measures that support lives, and, above all, that we all can do what we are responsible for: protect victims, educate citizenship that prevents from early age violence in the family, which is unacceptable in any decent society,” said Ana Catarina Mendez.