The Portuguese Presidency will be focusing on the prevention of Intimate Partner Homicide:
The problem of violence between intimate partners has raised concerns among governments and academia, worldwide. In fact, there are different approaches to the problem, nevertheless, considered of a multifactorial genesis, i.e., multiple variables are related to this pathological relationship. All stages of violence are unacceptable and governments should define strategies to prevent, protect, mitigate and punish. When such a dramatic event occurs, as a murder, we may conclude that state policies and society weren’t proficient enough to prevent this outcome. Criminal sanctions cannot be dismissed, even though they are admittedly insufficient and ineffective, but they must be the last resource. On the other hand, preventive measures increase society´s awareness and education to tackle intimate partner violence. The murder of intimate partners is the height of the violence, a clear disregard towards someone with whom one has, or has had, a particular emotional bond. While this definitive outcome does not occur, there is still the possibility of prevent it, helping potential victims and offenders. After the murder, we can only punish the offender and mourn the tragedy. Recognizing that a large part of the phenomenon remains hidden behind closed doors, there is a fair fear that the pandemic COVID-19 may have placed a blanket of silence on a reality that is still unknown. Each homicide, any act of violence is a failure of all the system. Therefore, the Portuguese presidency will focus on preventing intimate partner homicide.
