«More and more requests for help, the money is not enough»

TREVISO – Rain of requests to access the prompt reception service For abused women. And now the financing is not enough to guarantee the activity until the end of the year. The women forced to resort to the Treviso service, together with their children, are increased by almost 140% in the last 5 years. In 2018 they had been accepted 16 (seven without children), with 13 children, to immediately remove them from the home where they were victims of violence, in most cases by their husband or partner. While last year she rose to 35 (14 without children), with 35 children. So much so that it was necessary to respond to 17 requests by also activating the external network, because the Treviso service was fully booked. Finally, between January and March 2024, we have already reached 11 women, with 9 children. «Fortunately or unfortunately, requests have really increased a lot. And in light of this today the funding is not enough to sustain the service until the end of the year – warns Gloria Tessarolo, social councilor – but we are already looking for other funds. And we will find them. Meanwhile, these figures confirm the good work done to highlight situations of violence. Today it is worth investing in prompt reception. In case of need, hotels are always better than nothing. But the prompt welcome guarantees the presence of a team that immediately takes charge of the women and also provides answers to the children. Not only is it necessary, but it must be structured even better.”

The net

It should be underlined that no woman is left out. At most the answer comes by collaborating with the network of other shelter homes. Prompt reception is the first, fundamental step. With 24-hour availability, the listening service, interviews and liaison with the police, it guarantees immediate protection in an ad hoc structure. It can be activated by the police themselves, by emergency rooms, by anti-violence centers and by municipal social services. After the first arrival in a protected context, which can last about ten days, the possible situation is defined insertion into a structure in a stable manner. «In Treviso the institutional table for the prevention of violence is producing important results – underlines Tessarolo – we have one shelter house with secret addressa prompt reception, which appears to us to be the only one structured in the whole of Veneto, and also the help desk for perpetrators of violence, made possible thanks to the experience of A home for man». «In addition to the need to invest in prompt reception, there are major difficulties in accompanying women after emergency measures. We are trying housing experiences, but they are not enough for women with zero income who have to rebuild their lives outside their marital home – continues the councilor – even the freedom income is not financed enough. On a general level, then, we should start thinking about a legal revision to remove the abusive man from the home and not the woman with minors. Even with the training of the local police, we manage to bring out extreme situations. But many times the answers arrive late. And this can be the discriminating factor between life and death.” In all of this, raising awareness about gender violence remains fundamental.

Countryside

And it is the first merit of conferences such as “What do you want it to be…”, organized yesterday by Vials at Ca’ Foncello. «We really wanted this event. The first of its kind in this Local Health Authority – secretary Gianluca Martin pulls the strings – speakers with specific experiences took part. And this made it possible to address a series of issues relating to strategies, prevention and support. It was the first stage of a journey that will see you give our support to combat this serious plague.”

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