“We have seen more immigrant victims compared to previous years,” stated Iris Almeida in an interview, marking the 14th anniversary of GIAV. She attributed the increase in cases to the rise in immigration in Portugal, reports by third parties, and women’s growing awareness that domestic violence is a crime.
“We have victims who realize themselves that it’s a crime in our country, either because their children are in school or because they start going out and begin to understand… We are talking about victims who often do not work, meaning they are financially dependent on their husbands,” she added.
This dependence on the aggressors, combined with occasionally not having documents, sometimes results in them initially “refusing to provide statements.”
According to the psychologist, this new reality poses a challenge for GIAV and “the entire system” because “often,” these women come from “countries where violence between men and women is normal,” sometimes lacking family or friend support and not speaking Portuguese well.
“Often what happens is that the court, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, uses interpreters of the victims’ nationality, which introduces a third party that sometimes breaks the relationship,” stressed Iris Almeida.
Inaugurated on November 18, 2011, GIAV was established through a protocol between the Lisbon Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) and the Egas Moniz School of Health and Science in Almada, providing victims with psychological support throughout the criminal process.
In 14 years, these professionals conducted 3,512 victim assistances in future memory statements, 158 during inquiries by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and 86 in trial hearings, as well as 577 attendances.
Operating within the Lisbon Justice Campus, which houses several courts, GIAV expanded its reach to include minor defendants aged 16 and 17, conducting 90 assists in this regard.
The facility is located in Building E of the Lisbon Justice Campus, where, since 2020, a PSP station is also situated, allowing domestic violence victims to file complaints directly.
GIAV’s area of operation, which has assisted victims between the ages of five and 100 years, covers the Lisbon metropolitan area.
IB // ZO
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