The protocol signed by the Lombardy Region in April 2017, with all the Prefectures of the territory, represents an important point of arrival in the relations between regional and national institutions to face a phenomenon such as violence against women, which manifests itself with particular seriousness in our region as well.
Law enforcement agencies are a fundamental and substantial part of the governance system that the Lombardy Region has launched throughout the territory, also thanks to their cooperation.
In recent years, economic resources, human resources and skills have been put in place to allow the establishment of an integrated system involving the collaboration and cooperation between public institutions and private social entities at all levels, but above all on a territorial and local scale.
All the Municipalities of Lombardy are part of an anti-violence network and the Network is the "place" that brings together, municipalities, anti-violence centres, shelters, hospitals, first aid and law enforcement agencies to activate the necessary actions to accommodate and protect women, who are victims, and their children.
Law enforcement agencies are in the front line and on the field: they intervene in cases of domestic violence, welcome women in police stations and barracks. Their presence is widespread in the territory and they have always been a reference point for women who are victims of violence.
In most cases they are the first to listen to their experiences and their stories.
Their ability to welcome women, but also to prevent and repress crimes related to gender violence, is the goal of the signed protocol.
The Protocol is also a starting point.
It aims to activate training courses, experimental initiatives, the sharing of good practices and methods of data-collection and information gathering, to allow us to know more precisely the phenomenon of violence against women in our territory.
In these days, a first training course has been launched involving 308 members of the State Police and the Carabinieri Force, which will be implemented in 14 editions throughout the region by November 2018 (here today the second edition of the three planned in the territory of Milan).
The training course deals with important issues:
• from the welcoming process to the victim’s profile
• from the operational methods of first intervention to the offender’s profile
• from the regulatory framework to relations with other network operators, in particular with the anti-violence centres and shelter houses
The investment in training professionals, public and private operators who come into contact with women who are victims of violence, has been a priority of the Lombardy Region for the last three years.
Over three years, more than €735,000 was invested in training courses involving about 2,000 operators and professionals (doctors, psychologists, social workers, local police, operators of anti-violence centres and municipalities, and approximately 600 lawyers).
An investment aimed at increasing skills and ensuring a homogeneous level of quality service throughout the region.
The resources put in place by the Lombardy Region in the last four years have been substantial, 18.000 million euro of which more than 10 million are regional resources.
The 49 anti-violence centres active in the regional territory guarantee multidisciplinary teams able to provide many free services including reception, psychological assistance and legal support for children victims of witnessing violence and protection in 46 safe houses or shelters.
A PROGRAM FOR WORK AND HOME
A program of 1.609.500,00 euro has been activated to encourage job placement and housing autonomy for the women housed in the Anti-violence Centres and safe houses.
During the next few days the resources will be transferred to the Municipalities for the activation of the individual paths that include: training, job placement, internships and apprenticeships, expenses for conciliation and support for renting a new house.
THE REGIONAL ANTIVIOLENCE OBSERVATORY -NOW
The Lombardy Region is building an integrated data and information collection system in order to thoroughly understand the phenomenon.
In 2014, the Regional Anti-Violence Observatory (O.R.A.) was activated experimentally, a computerized survey system implemented by the Anti-Violence Centres and as of this year also by safe houses.
The third annual report - 'Violence against women in Lombardy: data from the anti-violence centres 2017' which presents data and characteristics of women who have turned to the anti-violence centres of Lombardy, will be published the first week of July 2018.
The most significant data for the 5,892 women who contacted the anti-violence centres in 2017 are anticipated.