Safe Haven applauds the Peridot Foundation
Source: TODAY Tuesday November 25, 2003
PHILIPSBURG — Safe Haven has made it public that they applaud the
Peridot Foundation in organizing the ceremony that was held on Sunday 23rd of
November commemorating the International day for elimination of violence against
women. The date of November 25" was chosen to mark the death of the Mirabal
sisters, three political activists in the Dominican Republic who were
assassinated during the Trujillo dictatorship in the early sixties.
Their violent deaths inspired an anti-Trujillo movement and the
expressive regime was brought to an end. Since that time, the Mirabal sisters
have become international symbols of the victimization of women in the fight
against gender violence. "Bringing awareness and campaigning against
gender-based violence in all its forms -whether it be domestic violence, rape,
sexual harassment in the work force, is key to change. It is essential to the
well-being and development of the individual and the community that we all work
together," stated e press release from Safe Haven. Safe Haven was delighted to
learn that our Chief Public Prosecutor, Cor Merx has reactivated an old law
whereby making it possible for victims to claim losses, when proven, for
psychological trauma, damages to ones personal items such as clothes If the
abuser fails to follow through, he would then be imprisoned. This means that
Safe Haven's clients can now be compensated for the physical and/or emotional
trauma they have sustained in their abusive relationship. This is a message from
our Public Prosecutor stating that there is "zero tolerance" for Domestic
Violence.
This is especially good news for Safe Haven states the Director
Lorraine Lopez-Daniel as they could incorporate the "Batterers intervention
Program" along the same lines. Instead of sending them to the already over
crowded prisons and making them better criminals at the taxpayers expense, they
will be subjected to a different system of accountability. Violence against
women - one of the most shameful of all human rights violations continues to be
widespread. It knows no boundaries or geography, culture or wealth. It occurs in
times of armed conflict and in peace, in the home, in the workplace and in the
streets. It stands in the way of progress towards equality, development, peace
and all human rights for all states the director.