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PERU
Consultant Alicia Castro
Coverage National
Prevalence Domestic Violence
Between 1981 and 1992 more than 1,300,000 reports of violent
crimes, threatening the life, health and body of the victim, were filed with the
National Police. These reports represent 45% of the total crimes reported to the
police during this period.
According to the data from the Women’s Delegation in Lima,
56.4% of the reports filed between 1989 and 1993 were made by women against
their husbands. In Arequipa, the number of men accused of maltreatment of their
wives reached 67%. Of these incidents reported, 52.2% related to mistreatment by
husbands, 44.5% by boyfriends/partners living with the woman, 2.8% by
ex-husbands and 0.5% by ex-boyfriends.
During the period from 1994 to 1997, statistics show that
51.3% of reports filed were due to mistreatment from the husband, 43.8% by a
boyfriend/partner living with the woman, 3.5% by an ex-husband and 1.4% by an
ex-boyfriend. 94.4% of the reports related to physical violence. 63.5% of the
aggressors were sober during the incident and 33.7% were inebriated.
The number of reports filed between 1994 and 1997 was
approximately 20,515. In 1997 the number of reports received by the Women’s
Commission in Lima was approximately 6,000. This is a significant number as it
demonstrates an increase of more than 300% from the number of cases reported the
year before.
In 1997 alone, of the total number of cases filed in Lima,
76.5% related to physical violence, equivalent to 18,801 registered cases and
23.5% (5,775 cases) related to psychological violence. 74.4% of the aggressors
were sober during the incident, 24.1% were in an inebriated state and 1.5% were
in a drugged state.
Between March 1997 and November 1998, the service "Ayuda
Amiga", an emergency phone line, reported 2,715 calls and attended to a
monthly average of 129 cases. 98% of the calls came from the metropolitan area
of Lima.
Sexual Violence
In Lima, according to the Manuela Ramos Movement, in 1996 an
average of 38 cases were reported monthly relating to crimes against sexual
liberty and freedom. Of these, 58.5% were committed against children, boys and
girls, between the ages of 7 and 14. 45.6% of the crimes occurred in the home of
the victim and 30.6% occurred in the home of the aggressor.
According to the first Survey of Households regarding
Victimisation in Metropolitan Lima, conducted with a sample of 8,000 people over
the age of 12 years old, rape was identified as the second most common form of
aggression, reported by 75.9% of the respondents. This was followed by 65.1% of
respondents who indicated an attempt of sexual abuse.
According to information from the Public Ministry, in 1997,
758 cases of violations against sexual freedom were reported, an increase of
20.9% from 1996, when 599 cases were reported. In 1998, between January and
October, 528 cases were reported, approximately 53 cases per month.
National studies reveal that 90% of mothers between the ages
of 12 and 16 had been raped by someone within their own family.
Legislation
For the protection of the victims and the sanction of those
that have committed gender violent acts, Peru has the following legal
mechanisms:
Law 26260 of Protection on Domestic Violence (December
1993) and the Rules and Regulations approved by the Supreme Decree 002-98-JUS
General Health Law N.26842
Law 26872 (1997) Conciliation law that focuses on the
rights of the family regarding nutrition and domestic violence. Penal Code:
sexual offences
Legislative Decree 728 Laws of the workplace (sexual
harassment), article 66, clause h.
State’s Response
Domestic Violence
National Policy
Women’s Commission, Human Development by the Congress of the Republic
(1998)
Multi-sectoral Round table for the prevention of family violence (1997) with
participation from: PROMUDEH, Ministries of Education, Health, Interior,
Justice, Public, the Public Defender and the Association of the Municipalities
of Peru. As representatives of civil society, participate in the Centre for
Peruvian Women "Flora Tristan". OPS and the UNFPA facilitated and
strengthened the quality of the Roundtable discussion, as representatives of
international organizations.
Political sector
Ministry for Promotion of Women’s Affairs and Human Rights (PROMUDEH)
(29.10.96)
Initiating Group for Homes Free of Violence
Program in the Defence of Children and Adolescents
Defender specializing in the Rights of Women in the Public Defence
Ministry of Health
Office of Epidemiological Vigilance
National Program of Mental Health
Women’s Program, Health and Development
Ministry of Public Education: Program for the Prevention of Violence
Ministry of the Interior: Police – Delegation of Police Women
Ministry of Justice: National Ministerial Department of Justice
National Ministerial Department of Conciliation
Public Ministry: Provincial Public Prosecutors of the family
Local Politics
Municipalities: Municipal defenders for the Rights of the
Child and Adolescents
Sexual Offences
Ministry for the Promotion of Women and of Human Rights
Defenders for the Child and the Adolescent
Local networks for the maltreatment of children
Telephone lines for the maltreatment of children
Office for the Planning of Adolescents
Program – Mother for Life
Response from civil society
Domestic Violence
Centre for Peruvian Women "Flora Tristán"
Institute of Local Development (Junìn)
Institute of Support to the Independent Movement of Rural
Women
DEMUS: Study of the Defence of Women’s Human Rights
Manuela Ramos Movement
Provincial federation of Women of ICA
Association of Women Rural Workers of Huancabamba
Federation of Rural Women of Anta
Association for the Promotion and Defence of Women
Centre for the Promotion of Women
Co-ordinator of the Work of Women
Federation of Clubs of the Mothers of Ayacucho
Discussion group on population, women and family
Sexual offences
Centre of Social Studies and Research
Manuela Ramos Movement
DEMUS
CMP Flora Tristán
TIPACOM: Children’s workshop focussed at the community
level
Women in prostitution
Centre for Support to Women Agustina Rivas
El Pozo Movement
Services
By the State
Ministry of Health – National Program of Mental Health
Support Groups
Modules focussed on the maltreatment and health of children.
Ministry of Public Education
National Program for the Prevention of the illegal use of drugs
National Program: School for Parents
National Program: Sex Education
Support groups
Ministry of the Interior
Specialized sections addressing violence against women in the First
Delegation of Lima (12 specialized sections exist in Lima)
Ministry of Justice
National Ministerial Department of Justice:
Information bureaus on the Judicial system and law in Lima and
Callao
Telephone line for legal
advice
National Ministerial Department of Conciliation: Centres of
conciliation (14 in Lima, 2 in other provinces, 5 private in Lima, 2 private
in other provinces)
Public Ministry: Provincial Public Prosecutor for the
Family
Public Prosecutor specializing in domestic
violence
Municipalities: Municipal Defenders for the Rights of
Children and Adolescents (843 DEMUNAS exist at the national level; 301 in Lima
and 542 in the rest of the country)
By non-governmental organizations
The study gathered information on 21 organizations of civil
society, which covered a variety of aspects and actions in addressing domestic
violence.
Altogether, the study identified 249 services which are
provided by public organizations and civil society in this area. A break-down of
these services is as follows:
Consulting and legal advice 57
Medical specialities 19
Psychological counselling 24
Social work 17
Economic support 06
Support groups 40
Spiritual support 08
Community defense service 42
Hot line 11
Training 35
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