UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 7) A number of comprehensive human rights policy instruments have been approved: the 4th and 5th National Plans against Domestic/Gender-Based Violence (2011-2013 and 2014-2017)

Para 11) Within the Council of Europe framework, Portugal ratified ... the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Para 32) In February 2013, legal amendments were introduced in order to extend the concept of domestic violence to dating and other intimate relationships without cohabitation. Concerning issues of "prosecution and punishment", we recall that Portugal has accepted recommendations 103.5 and 103.6 "on the understanding that they are to be interpreted as meaning that the Government accepts to facilitate prosecution and sanction through the enactment and implementation of legislation and other administrative measures". Data on the relationship between defendant and victim in murder crimes are now collected, and efforts have been made to standardise reporting and data collection procedures (in courts, prosecution services and police stations) concerning victims of domestic violence, results of investigations and final court decisions, including the creation of a website and a database.

Para 33) Special teams to investigate crimes of domestic violence, to undertake preventive action and to deal with victims in police stations have been established. Public prosecution is developing integrated responses to accelerate the investigation of crimes of domestic violence and adequately protect victims, including women, children and the elderly. Guidelines and technical assistance are being provided to help courts assess the risk of re- occurrence of domestic violence. Violence against elderly women has recently been an issue of particular focus, with the active participation of law enforcement agencies and public prosecutors in the EU Project "Mind the Gap" (comprising research, awareness- raising and training activities, and exchange of best practices).

Para 34) Prevention efforts include measures to reduce social acceptance of domestic and gender-based violence, promote equality, eliminate gender stereotypes and empower women and girls, such as annual awareness-raising campaigns to inform women of their rights and promote their ability to report. Specific training sessions have been provided to, inter alia, social workers, public prosecutors, security forces, teachers and medical staff.

Para 35) Measures have been adopted in the area of forensic medicine, such as training courses for medical experts dealing with domestic violence cases, scientific meetings, protocols to coordinate interventions in this area and the creation of a dedicated hospital unit, with specific rules of procedure, to help victims.

Para 37) A number of provisions have been introduced to regulate aspects covered by the Act on the prevention of domestic violence and on the protection of and assistance to its victims, adopted in September 2009. These include the recognition of the status of victim (to all alleged victims as soon as a domestic violence incident is reported); the urgent nature of domestic violence proceedings (a Constitutional Court decision of 2012 has underlined the urgent nature of these cases); the use of remote surveillance means to control perpetrators (mandatory since February 2013); possibility to arrest perpetrators even if not caught in the act ...

Para 38) Prevention of re-offending through work with perpetrators is an innovative area of intervention: a pilot project in this area has been extended in order to cover the entire Portuguese territory and programmes are ongoing, within and outside prisons, to rehabilitate and reintegrate such offenders, including through the implementation of individualised plans.

Para 41) A nationwide prevention and victim protection strategy was implemented in the last decade, in partnership with civil society. This strategy included annual information campaigns: in 2010, the focus was on encouraging reporting of domestic violence; in 2011 on marital homicides; and in 2012 on vicarious victimisation. Measures adopted by law enforcement agencies, namely within community policing strategies, include an increase in the number of agents in victim-support teams, the creation and improvement of dedicated facilities for victims in police stations, and activities undertaken within the "Safe School" programme. Initiatives specifically targeted at children and youngsters include the introduction in school curricula, from the earliest grades, of contents relating to gender equality, domestic and gender-based violence.