GREVIO calls for mandatory training for judges
A Council of Europe expert group has urged Portugal to adopt tougher judicial responses to domestic and sexual violence. In a new report, GREVIO, the body monitoring compliance with the Istanbul Convention, acknowledges progress but warns that “lenient and disproportionate sentences” remain a major issue.
GREVIO calls for mandatory training for judges and criticises ongoing patriarchal attitudes in the justice system. The report also highlights gaps in support services and urges Portugal to remove legal barriers that delay investigations and protection for victims.
More specifically, the group calls for 24/7 national helplines for female victims, which currently do not exist, as well as more spaces in women’s shelters, especially for families, and an end to the rule that women must report rape within 6–12 months to press charges. The group also defends faster, easier protection orders – which currently take up to 48 hours and require ongoing legal cases.
GREVIO also called out the use of the controversial “parental alienation syndrome” in custody battles involving domestic abuse – a move widely criticized for undermining victims’ credibility.
Still, it’s not all bad news. The report praises Portugal’s efforts to raise awareness around female genital mutilation, and applauds reforms like the new consent-based rape law. Also commended are its support offices for victims in public prosecutors’ offices, and violence prevention teams being standard in hospitals across the country.
