UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 19) Homicide and femicide are offences under the Criminal Code and are punishable by 10 to 30 years’ imprisonment, the higher sentence being applicable if the victim is a close relative or person under the guardianship of the perpetrator, a child aged 12 or under or an adult aged 70 or above, or if the death results from an act of domestic violence, racism or discrimination.

UN Compilation:
Para 48) The Committee against Torture noted with concern that the number of reported cases of domestic violence had increased sharply in recent years and that few court convictions were secured for femicide, …

National Report:
Para 33) The Government promotes training and community outreach for the entire population, including the indigenous and Afrodescendent communities, on topics such as respect for the rights of women, adolescents and girls and the early detection of all manifestations of violence against women. More than 40 awareness days were held in 2018 and 75 in 2019 on three specific topics: gender and the prevention of violence against girls, adolescents and women; the promotion of human rights; and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Para 50) Legislation and national policies include Act No. 7 of 2018 concerning measures to prevent, prohibit and punish discriminatory acts, among other provisions; Executive Decree No. 100 of 2017, which regulates Act No. 82 of 2013; and Act No. 73 of 2015 amending Act No. 38 of 2001 on domestic violence. Other public policy instruments include … the national protocol for the comprehensive care of women victims of intimate partner violence;
Para 51) Through inter-institutional coordination efforts, the National Institute for Women (INAMU) has established a presence in 10 provinces and indigenous regions, thus increasing its geographical coverage and expanding prevention and protection activities for women at its 14 centres and 2 national shelters for women at high risk of domestic violence.
Para 52) The Institute’s centres provide legal and psychological support and assistance from social workers to guide and support women during the legal process, to direct them to shelters when required and to offer them new opportunities. The services provided are confidential and free of charge. The Institute has the 182 free helpline, which offers counselling for women whose rights have been violated, while the National Police has a specialized service for dealing with gender violence, composed of approximately 190 police officers in 19 police zones.
Para 53) The Institute has set up the “DATA INAMU” information system, which is the first register of its kind to enable the profile of an attacker to be established and information on female victims of violence to be automatically categorized. It has carried out the women’s rights campaigns “Count Me In” (Yo me sumo), “It’s In Your Hands” (Está en tus manos) and “It’s Up To All Of Us” (A todos y todas nos toca). Communication and information tools have been adapted so as to be accessible in indigenous languages.
Para 55) In the context of the programmes and plans that the State has put in place as part of the decentralization process, and in compliance with Act No. 16 of June 2016 establishing community justice, the National Institute for Women and the National Secretariat for Decentralization organize training workshops for justices of the peace on the prevention of violence against women. Similarly, the multidisciplinary team of the judiciary’s Prevention and Family Guidance Centre is being trained to address violence against women, including the risk factors linked to intimate partner violence, in a holistic manner.
Para 66) The judiciary’s Department of Legal Aid for Crime Victims offers free legal assistance to women victims of violence, regardless of their socioeconomic status. In 2015, it had 10 defence lawyers; by January 2020, that number had risen to 72, covering all provinces. Free legal assistance is provided not only during the initial stages of proceedings, but up to the sentence enforcement phase. The assistance provided to victims may take the form of guidance, support during hearings or formal representation in criminal proceedings.

UN Compilation:
Para 48) The Committee against Torture noted with concern that the number of reported cases of domestic violence had increased sharply in recent years and that few court convictions were secured for femicide, sexual violence and other forms of violence against women.
Para 49) The CRPD was concerned about the invisibility of discrimination and violence, including domestic and sexual violence, against women with disabilities and noted that women with disabilities in rural areas and indigenous regions were particularly vulnerable.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 11) The Ombudsman’s Office stated that, even though the Government had adopted a number of important legal instruments for combatting violence against women, including Decree No. 100 of 2017, which contained preventive measures and introduced the specific offence of femicide to the Criminal Code, indicators of violence against women remained at high levels. The Office noted that no specialized prosecutors’ offices or courts had been created to deal with cases of gender-based violence and that the Special Reparations Fund for women victims of violence was not operational.
Para 64) IACHR drew attention to the … reduction in the number of cases of femicide; and the development of a scholarship programme for victims of gender-based violence and their children.