Sat, Jun 19, 2004 page4

• Women's group appeals for aid to victims of abuse

  PROTECTION Although 56 women died due to domestic violence in this year's first five months, local governments don't devote enough resources to the problem, activists said

  • By Caroline Hong / STAFF WRITER
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  The Modern Women's Foundation yesterday called for more aid to victims of domestic violence, noting that although the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (家庭暴力防治法) took effect nearly five years ago, an average of ten women a month are slain by their abusers.

  "Since the establishment of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, all cities and counties have been obligated to have domestic violence prevention centers. However, the added responsibility doesn't mean added personnel," said the foundation's Wu Yu-ting (吳毓婷).

  "Because of budget limitations, many places just have one of their social workers take on the added responsibility of being a domestic violence officer on top of their other responsibilities. Often the same social worker might handle low-income household cases as well as domestic violence," Wu said.

  The foundation said that although there are more than 30,000 domestic violence cases in the system and 13,000 to 15,000 people who ask for protection orders each year, there are only 232 domestic violence officers nationally, many of whom work only part-time.

  The foundation highlighted national police figures for 2002 showing that 13.2 percent of murder cases and 26.7 percent of assault injuries were perpetrated by victims' relatives or housemates. A study of media coverage of the issue showed that in the first five months of this year, 56 women died from domestic violence and 46 were injured. The number of cases of domestic violence that do not receive media attention is likely to be vastly larger.

  Stating that psychological research indicates that some perpetrators of domestic violence are easily influenced by outside circumstances, the foundation also called on the media to tone down its coverage of gory or emotionally shocking scenes of violence.

  Although the foundation said it hopes for increased government funding, it is also calling on the non-profit and private sectors to play a meaningful role in fighting domestic violence and supporting its victims. To increase resources for victims, the foundation advocates the establishment of domestic violence case handling centers in each district court in its Train of Hope campaign.

  The campaign, which started in January and will continue until August, seeks to increase public involvement and to raise money to found these centers. To this end, the foundation is holding a charity sale with bakery chain Billie Chick.

  For more information or to make donations, call the foundation at (02) 2391-7133.
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