The “Violet Commitment,” a package of 25 legislative proposals from PAN’s electoral program aimed at combating sexual and domestic violence, was submitted this morning by the party’s spokesperson, Inês de Sousa Real, to João Lázaro, president of APAV (Portuguese Victim Support Association), during a visit to the association’s headquarters in Lisbon.
Inês de Sousa Real explained that the proposal for housing credit insurance mirrors measures already implemented in other countries, urging other political parties to join PAN in combating domestic violence, emphasizing that this fight must be a “national priority.”
According to the document handed to APAV, the intention is for insurers to be legally mandated to include “relocation due to domestic violence” within the scope of home insurance coverage, safeguarding situations where victims are compelled to flee homes shared with their aggressors.
Included in this set of measures under the “Violet Commitment” is the recognition of the public nature of crimes such as rape, sexual coercion, and “non-consensual artificial procreation,” alongside extending the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children to 30 years.
The party also suggests refining the “legal framework for image-based sexual violence through its differentiation within crimes against sexual freedom and self-determination, the criminalization of the production and dissemination of sexualized ‘deep fakes,’ and the strengthening of digital platforms’ obligations for blocking and reporting.”
In statements to the media following her visit to APAV, the PAN spokesperson cited recent sexual crime reports to underscore the necessity of preventing a “society fostering hatred against women and inciting rape.”
Inês de Sousa Real assured that this legislative package will be “one of the first” presented by the party in the next parliamentary session and expressed hope that PAN would do so as a parliamentary group.
Beyond addressing domestic violence, PAN’s electoral program, according to the party leader, will also address the housing crisis, with proposals aimed at “families and their quality of life,” as well as measures concerning animal protection, such as reducing VAT on health services and food.
The PAN spokesperson indicated that the complete electoral program would be unveiled on May 3, but that, until then, the party will introduce the document “chapter by chapter” through meetings with associations, digital sharing, and initiatives engaging various sectors of society.
