The Government of the Azores presented today the Intervention Guide on the Impact of Marital Violence on Children and Youngsters, an innovative programme that aims to become "a tool for the implementation of good practices" in the fight against domestic violence on minors and the breaking cycles of violence.

"Our concern is to combat the crime of domestic violence and promote the recovery of victims of these situations," stressed the Regional Secretary for Labour and Social Solidarity, Ana Paula Marques. The government spoke during the presentation of the aforementioned Guide that took place in Ponta Delgada today and added that "course of action is to help children, people living in a family of violence and free them from aggression and violence."

Published by the Centre for Family Therapy and Systemic Intervention, the programme is available in Portuguese and Spanish. It will be simultaneously implemented in Corunna by the Fundación Meniños and in the Azores by several institutions in the area of domestic violence as well as by shelters for children and youngsters, explained the government official.

This new tool is intended to support all organisations working in these areas in addition to providing a methodological framework for an intervention on the impact of gender violence on children and youngsters.

The Guide was designed in partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Employment and Social Solidarity, the "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" of Praia da Vitória and the Fundación Meniños; it was supervised by Professor Valentim Escudero from the University of Corunna.

Ana Paula Marques recalled the programme for the Rehabilitation of Offenders - "Contigo" - which has already covered 105 people, "being now a benchmark of good practice both nationally and internationally." The government official highlighted the close collaboration between the Government of the Azores and the representatives of Justice and Internal Administration in the Region, whose "availability has made the implementation process easier. For example, the Ministry of Justice has assigned a Prosecutor for Domestic Violence affairs for the Judicial District of Ponta Delgada and PSP (Public Safety Police) assigned two officers for the multidisciplinary team to fight against domestic violence. This team is the only in Portugal that operates 24 hours on 24.

The attendance centres that were recently created within the Centres for the Prevention and Combat to Domestic Violence on other islands and the shelter houses were other aspects highlighted by the Regional Secretary.