Investigation, ‘judicial responses do not protect violated women’

(ANSA) – TRIESTE, NOV 26 – The judicial responses that women and their children obtain when they emerge from situations of domestic violence “do not yet appear sufficiently protective”. This is what emerges from an investigation presented today by Goap, an association that has managed the anti-violence center in Trieste since 1999. From the report, which involved a sample of women who turned to the association over time, it emerges that among those who complained or for whom an official proceeding was opened (55%) only a minority (30%) obtained a protective measure. In particular, only in 31% of cases was the abuser convicted, while in 36.6% of cases there was a dismissal. Furthermore, 15% of women withdrew their complaint. As regards the protection of children, in 72% of cases there is shared custody between parents even in the presence of investigations and complaints. Measures ablating the parental responsibility of the father suspected of having committed violence are rare (20%). According to the survey, the rules introduced with the Cartabia reform and the Roccella reform are bringing improvements. In particular, after December 2023 “there is an increase in protection measures” and the use of shared custody of children is gradually decreasing (52%). “The data illustrates a response that is not yet adequate for women – underlined the psychologist Maria Grazia Apollonio – we do not collect them to criticize but to increase collaboration with courts, law enforcement and social and health services”. As regards access to Goap, the operator Tatjana Tomicic reported, the new women who turned to the association increased by 11% in the last 12 months (there were 282 on 31 October 2023 against 312 on the same date 2024 ). The total number of women accepted also increased by 30% (from 399 to 518). “After the case of Giulia Cecchettin, more girls under 25 are turning to us. If from 2009 onwards they corresponded to around 15% of the total, in recent months they are 18%”, concluded Tomicic. (HANDLE).