More than 80% of domestic violence victims in Sao Tome and Principe are women.

Women from São Tomé account for more than 80% of the domestic violence cases registered this year by the Advisory Center against Domestic Violence (CACVD), which requires human and financial resources to monitor victims.

By the end of the first semester, the CACVD alone had registered 173 cases, involving 31 men and 142 women, but there were many more cases, the institution’s director, Sonia Afonso, told Lusa in an interview to mark Sao Paulo’s Women’s Day. Tome and Principe, which is celebrated this Tuesday.

The director of the Domestic Violence Advisory Center said the numbers fluctuate, but each area admits an average of 15 cases per month.

“This is a lot, and not everyone goes to the prosecutor’s office,” the person in charge emphasized.

According to Sonia Afonso, many victims seek advice but avoid prosecution, often falling victim to the same abuser again.

“These offices need a psychologist. [distritais] because only they can also help you understand whether the advice alone is worth it or whether [é necessário] put a “stop” and send it to the prosecutor’s office,” said Sonia Afonso.

The director of the CACVD said that in the center itself there are currently no psychologists or sociologists who could advise and provide support to the victims.

Despite the lack of human and material resources, the institution has carried out outreach efforts on the ground, which began last week in the Lemba district in northern Sao Tome, where the highest number of cases have been reported.

“This is an area that typically experiences high levels of gender-based violence, both psychological and physical, so we are looking for strategies, trying to understand what to do about this situation,” said Sonia Afonso.

The official believes that the high level of violence in Lembe is not due to a lack of knowledge, but primarily due to the influence of alcohol consumption and unemployment, which she witnessed during outreach work in one of the communities in the area.

“This community is very closed, there are no jobs, women do not work, they depend on a man who runs a small business, so they are very dependent on their husband. […] When they start drinking, it’s just conflict, almost every day,” he said.

Authorities have recently changed criminal laws and domestic violence has become a public crime, leading to an increase in anonymous reports. However, the CACVD director admitted that there is still some delay in the authorities’ responses, especially in the procedural process at the prosecutor’s office.