Amnesty International has published a new report urging Venezuelan authorities to fully implement its 2007 law to protect women from violence. The report notes that the law is exemplary on paper, defining violence against women as a human rights violation and recognizing the state’s responsibility to eradicate it through specific measures of prevention, protection, and punishment of offenders. Yet, through interviews with survivors of domestic violence, advocates, representatives of government agencies, lawyers, judges, police, and academics, the researchers for this report identified various shortcomings in the implementation of the law. In order for the law to effectively combat domestic violence, the report says the government must establish more shelters and increase access to information about support available to victims, as well as ensuring that police, prosecutors, and others who come into contact with violence against women are properly trained.
For the full report, click here.
Compiled from: “Venezuela Must Implement New Law on Violence Against Women,” Amnesty International, 17 July 2008; “Venezuela: ‘The law is there, let’s use it’ Ending domestic violence in Venezuela,” Amnesty International, 16 July 2008