Campaign "Break the Silence" launched in Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil)
The Public Ministry of Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil) launched on the March 14th the campaign "Break the Silence", with the aim of raising awareness of violence against women.
The "Break the Silence" campaign was originally developed by the agency JWT for APAV in 2005 and was adapted for publication in that Brazilian state in the wake of the Protocol signed between APAV and Public Ministry of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.
This protocol of Cooperation was signed in February 2012 and aims to establish cooperation between the two institutions and to promote awareness and campaigns regarding domestic violence against women.
Seminary: Access to justice for crime victims in the EU | 10-11 April | Trier
A seminary dedicated to “Access to justice for crime victims in the EU”, organized by the European Research Area (ERA), will be held in Trier, Germany, on 10th and 11th April. The event will have ten speakers from different european countries, being Portugal represented by João Lázaro, APAV’s President, and by lawyer Henrique Martins Gomes, from Carlos Pinto de Abreu Associates.
The meeting’s main goal is to analyse the new EU legal provisions considering the implementation and judicial practice in the Member States regarding the procedural safeguards and access to justice available to crime victims in the EU, with emphasis to in cross-border cases.
Therefore, as key topics we highlight the effective exercise of rights in criminal proceedings, access to justice in trans-national cases, support and protection measures and the European Protection Order.
For more information:
www.era.int
VSE Conference 2014: "Developing Victim Support Across Europe" | Warsaw | 14-17 May
Victim Support Europe will promote the 2014 Annual Conference and General Meeting in Warsaw, Poland, on 14-17 May 2014. The conference will be an opportunity for member states representatives, academics and victim support practitioners to come together and exchange best practices regarding the implementation of the EU directive on victims’ rights.
The key topics for discussion and debate will include quality and standards in victim support, next steps to successful delivery of the EU directive on victims’ rights, capacity-building for victim support organisations as well as new challenges and victim support beyond 2015.
Confirmed speakers include Marek Biernacki (Justice Minister of Poland), Charalampos Athanasiou (Justice Minister of Greece), Lotte Knudsen (Director for Justice, DG Justice, European Commission), Oldřich Martinů (Deputy Director of EUROPOL) and Hans G. Nilsson (Head of Division of Fundamental Rights & Criminal Justice of the Council of the European Union).
For further information:
victimsupporteurope.eu
APAV and GNR sign a formal cooperation agreement
APAV and GNR (the National Republican Guard) signed on the 20th of December, in the General Command of GNR, Headquarters of Carmo, in Lisbon, a Cooperation Agreement with the aim of regulate and formalize direct and reciprocal cooperation between the two entities, in an effort to improve the conditions to better support, assist, inform and protect victims of crime. The GNR was represented by its General Commander, Lieutenant General Newton Parreira, and João Lázaro represented APAV as President of the Board.
The enhancement of the cooperation between these two institutions aims at, among other things, establish best practices as models of action to be applied in what concerns information to victims of crime and referral to victim support after the first contact of victims with the police; set up a referral system of the victims of crime that contact GNR to APAV’s victim support schemes complying with the applicable legal provisions; participation of the organisations in each other’s training programs, both as trainers and as trainees; mutual cooperation in actions and projects in the field of victim support developed by each of the institutions, including studies and seminars and projects co-financed by both national and European fund lines; regular technical support, according to the needs felt and the logistic and technical capacities; sharing of relevant information in terms of victim support and cooperation in situations of psychosocial support to victims of crime, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, catastrophes, national disaster and other critical incidents.
EUCPN Best Practice Conference | Vilnius | 10/12 December
One of the EUCPN's main tasks is to arrange an annual conference for sharing and disseminating experience and knowledge of best practices in preventing crime and increasing safety and security in EU Member States. The conference is always held in connection with the European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) contest.
Policymakers, practitioners and researchers from all EU Member States, candidate countries and relevant organisations are usually present at the conference.
The conference consists of lectures and seminars and one important element is to present and discuss the projects nominated for the ECPA contest each year.
The theme for the 2013 ECPA and BPC is "Prevention of domestic violence". The EPCA and the BPC will take place between 10 and 12 December in Lithuania, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.