DILI, 01 december 2021 (TATOLI)- Organization of Legal Services for Women and Girls (ALFELA) has been engaged in legal services for victims of gender-based violence across the country.
“AlFELA organization has made the efforts to serve the victims of women and girls to access the legal services to solve their problems particularly those who experienced the domestic violence and sexual violence problem,” The coordinator of Advocacy and Lawyer of AlFELA, Marcelina Amaral told Tatoli during the interview at the office of ALFELA, Vila Verde Dili today.
ALFELA has branches and partners in 13 municipalities including RAEOA to assist the victims of domestic violence and sexual violence who need legal services to solve the problems.
As Amaral points out, many domestic victims do not have courage to resolve their problems legally due to a lack of information about the legal process in Timor-Leste. Therefore ALFELA exists to assist them to process their cases to get a fair truth.
“ALFELA’s policy is to involve the local authorities, community police, and parents in rural areas to collaborate with ALFELA in reporting the cases of domestic violence and sexual violence against women of minority age, to process their cases and prosecute suspects legally,” said Amaral.
Amaral explained, during this time ALFELA conduct legal education and advocacy programs to socialize the penal code to the public regarding the article for the semi-public crime to increase the basic knowledge regarding the legal processing of violence cases against women and girls.
“The articles composed of article number 03 /2017 which regulates the advocacy, article 177 regarding the sexual abuse of girls and article 182 regarding the physical aggression and sexuality against women and girls, article 145 simple offenses against physical integrity, article154 Mistreatment of a spouse, article 155 Mistreatment of a Minority, articles 172 & 173 Rape Aggravating, article 177, sexual abuse of a minor, 178 sexual acts with an adolescent and the other relevant penal code in Timor – Leste,”
Following the survey from ALFELA, factors that contribute to the violence against women and girls are patriarchal, economic factors, and infidelity factors, these three factors often appear in the community.
Journalists : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B
