The Greens/EFA group on Thursday 19 March sent a letter to the President of the EU Council, Charles Michel, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, to alert EU leaders to the "horrific reality" that isolation measures represent for many European citizens who are victims of domestic violence.
These measures, adopted to stop the Covid-19 epidemic and often accompanied by school closures, leave children and their caregivers with no choice but to stay at home.
However, "not every home is a safe place", the signatories of the letter stress, highlighting that the threat of domestic violence is "a reality in Europe", affecting mainly women and children.
"In China, reports of domestic violence have nearly doubled since cities were put under lockdown", the letter says. And the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence will be all the more neglected, given the focus on the epidemic.
According to MEP Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, Germany), these statements "should be taken as a serious warning here in Europe".
Preventive measures. "While we applaud the necessary moves to create social distancing and flatten the curve with the corona virus, these must come with moves to protect vulnerable people against domestic violence", she said.
In their letter, the Greens therefore call on the Commission and the EU Council to ensure that Member States do not reduce or divert existing resources from the essential services that female victims of violence rely on.
In addition, they call for a series of "proactive preventive measures", such as the strengthening of telephone helplines, the establishment of online legal aid, the funding of a shelter for victims and a campaign by the Commission to inform and warn about the phenomenon.
"We must create a strong public awareness of the fact that women and children are particularly at risk because of isolation in their own homes. I therefore also call for this: Do not leave victims of domestic violence alone. If you yourself are a victim of domestic violence, seek help", stressed Ms Reintke.
She and her co-signatories also note, in conclusion of their letter, that it is now "essential" to include gender violence in the European list of crimes.
To read the letter: https://bit.ly/33z6wnF (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)