” “"What new legal measures can be adopted by the governments to fight domestic violence?": this is the subject which is to be explored today and tomorrow at a workshop held at The Hague (the Netherlands), promoted by the Council of Europe and by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. Because of the relevance of the problem, last November the CoE launched a campaign that will last until 2008, "in order to raise public awareness of the extent of the phenomenon of violence against women and boost the adoption of new laws and measures" to eradicate it (the website of the initiative is coe.int/stopviolence). "In the European countries explain the promoters , a rate ranging from one fifth to one quarter of the female population seem to have been victims of physical violence at least once in their lifetime. Over 10% of European women have been victims of sexual abuse and it is esteemed that 12 to 15% of women have been victims of domestic abuse". The two-day workshop at The Hague will review some urgent measures to be adopted on a national scale, such as: decrees for the protection of the victims, "aiming at preventing the abuser having access to his partner’s house"; the establishment of "special law courts" to give victims easier access to justice. Another four workshops on the same subject will be held in Croatia, Portugal, FYROM and Finland. ” ” ” “
