Initiative to support victim of domestic violence in Cape Verde

A New England group of women are supporting the Capeverdean, Arminda Whitehead, in her plight to assist woman out of abusive situations in Cape Verde.

The Battered Women of Cape Verde Island Inc. will hold a fundraiser dance from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Bisca Club, located at 161 Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The venue and the music have been provided by the Bisca Club and Bisca Club Band.

Founded by Arminda Whitehead, the Battered Women of Cape Verde Island Center provides safety as well as empowers women through education, counseling and life training skills. The project is supported by a committee of ministers, physicians, nurses, psychologists, teachers, a judge and a court mediator who have a special interest in domestic violence and its associated issues.

According Human Rights report, issued by the US Department of State, in Cape Verde "domestic violence against women, including wife beating, was widespread".

"The government and civil society encouraged women to report criminal offenses such as spousal abuse, which is punishable by two to 13 years' imprisonment; however, longstanding social and cultural values inhibited victims from doing so. The number of prosecutions was small", the report said.

Rape, including spousal rape, is a criminal offense, but the government generally did not effectively enforce the law; the number of prosecutions last year was small. The penalty for rape is eight to 16 years' imprisonment, and may be higher if the victim is under the age of 16, or if the offender takes advantage of job responsibilities in a prison, hospital, school, or rehabilitation center, or with persons under his or her responsibility. NGOs such as the Association in Support of Women's Self-Promotion in Development and the Cape Verdean Women's Organization conducted campaigns against rape.

While there were mechanisms such as legal counseling, psychological care, specific police attention, and family courts to deal with spousal abuse, these mechanisms neither effectively prevented violence nor ensured the punishment of those responsible.

US Human Rights report said that "women's organizations claimed that police lacked adequate skills to handle cases of abuse and often ignored the legal complaints they filed against their husbands. Nevertheless, reports to police of domestic violence increased during 2008. There were police and judicial delays in acting on abuse cases. Violence against women was the subject of extensive public service media coverage, but the media protected alleged perpetrators' identities.