Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): VICTIMS
A Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) celebrates this year its 25Anniversary, and so it is only fair to remember the excellent work that has developed, on behalf of all victims of crime, that these 25 year old, estimates have been supported about 270 thousand, under the motto "25 years to give voice to the silence".
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR, Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
The intention to address the issue of support to victims of crime, has as reason, not only celebrating the main national institution in support of victims of crime, but also mark the "World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road", which aims to remember all the victims of road accidents, that only in the last five years were more than 3.200 dead, and that was celebrated last Sunday, day 15 November, and remind 132 citizens, of 13 different nationalities, which include two Portuguese, who died as a result of terrorist attacks in Paris last Thursday 6th, having also caused dozens of injuries, some even life-threatening.
Every day people die unfortunately crime victims, is on our roads, is in our cities, towns and villages, requiring the existence of institutions to provide support and also those providing relief to victims, at first occurrence, and so we could not miss this opportunity, to also pay our tribute to all Fire Stations, which together with the police authorities are the first to get to the sites, in accidents is, whether in criminal activities, often life-threatening, for the sole purpose provide relief to victims and save lives, under the most altruistic motto that can exist "Life for a Life".
But after the event and after being given the bailout, support institutions to the victims are essential and indispensable, so that victims' rights can be exercised and guaranteed, because the traumatic effects, as a result of being a victim, They remain well beyond that point, requiring not infrequently supervised childcare, em particularly by psychologists.
In support of the victim, fortunately APAV is not alone, there a number of local and national level institutions, ensuring victims, the exercise of their rights, which also include the security forces, having the GNR in this area developed a strategy to respond effectively, not only to investigate crimes, but also to support their victims.
So it is not surprising that there is a protocol of cooperation between the GNR and APAV, signed in 2013, in order to regulate the direct and reciprocal cooperation between the two institutions, aimed at improving the conditions of service, information, protection, monitoring and support to victims of crime, establishing the terms and conditions under which the two institutions should collaborate, paying particular attention to situations of crime against persons, in particular against the elderly, women, children and people with disabilities, crime victims.
As known, much has been done in recent years in support and protection to victims of crime, with this aspect also the Security Forces, GNR e PSP, implemented several projects, and in this context we must mention the existence of the GNR Research Centers and Support for Specific Victims (NIAVE), having its military specific training on the proper handling of issues related to women, minors, the elderly and the disabled as victims of crime, which together with the soldiers who make up the Chambers of Special Programs, They are especially geared towards prevention, monitoring and support for victims of violence, exerted on women, children and the elderly, in the context of domestic violence and other crimes committed in the family environment or ill-treatment.
Also the legislation has been improved and the Domestic Violence crime victims (CEO) was even created the "Legal Regime Applicable to the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection and Assistance its Victims", which also provides a 'victim status' to be awarded to victims of VD and a "Telecare Services to Victims of Domestic Violence", already been tackled in article anterior, having already peaked this year 2015, with the transposition of Directive 2012/29 / EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 25 October 2012, by No law 130/2015 of 4 of September, laying down detailed rules concerning the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, for that purpose proceeded to twenty third amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code and adopted the "Victim's Statute", but that the very APAV in its document "25 APAV of measures for a Plan of Rights of Crime Victims in Portugal ", considers not be enough, stating that the failure to adopt the proposed measures, “…the Portuguese State is likely to be sanctioned by the Court of Justice of the European Union ".
Despite the APAV consider that not everything was done, under the law for support and protection of victims, in view of the information available, much has been done, and that for all this information come soon to those who need it, there are several entities that provide the Internet, using the new technologies, all information about the rights of crime victims, allowing anyone to stay informed on the subject, and file a complaint for a crime that the victim was, ensuring the necessary confidentiality, It is the page APAV a place where any victim should seek information.
Also the responsibility of APAV, no “Portal infovítimas", one can find everything that a victim needs, from how to formalize a criminal complaint, to how to request an application for civil indeminização, and in the framework of the portals recall the existence of "Citizen Portal", among the first to provide information to victims, without forgetting the official pages GNR e da PSP, which also provide enough information on the subject, including location and contact details of all Territorial Offices of the GNR and PSP police stations, so that victims can formalize their complaint, the closest to your residence, being that if you want to do without leaving home, You can do through "Queixa Electrónica".
We ended the same way we started, remembering that in Portugal APAV is the main institution whose mission is to meet the needs of all victims of crime and promoting the necessary answers, developing this work already there 25 year old, and therefore is to be congratulated, by its silver anniversary, whose birthday is ticking by performing various initiatives, We invite you to know and to participate, this being also a way to honor all crime victims.
