El Siglo carries today a report on intrafamily violence reports at the Department of Protection of Women at the National Police. Major Emilia Kelly Santana says that there have been 6,439 complaints of domestic violence placed at the department in the first 10 months of the year. She says during the same period last year there were 4,136 complaints placed. She said that it is not that violence has increased, rather she explains that what has happened is that women are more aware of their rights and are coming forward. And she explained that the police no longer resists intervening in husband and wife affairs. She explained that domestic violence occurs at all social levels. She said it is not unusual for an elegant woman to arrive on board a jeep, with black and blues on her face showing signs of domestic violence. She says they frequently have to deal with doctors, engineers, teachers, and businessmen that have threatened their wives, have taken their children, and infringe all sorts of psychological cruelty on them. The department was founded in 1997 after the passing of Law 24-97 and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They receive about 35 claims a day. The department only operates at the Villa Juana Department in Santo Domingo, but there are plans for the opening of branches in Los Alcarrizos (north Santo Domingo), Santiago, Salcedo and San Francisco de Macorís. The first step for denouncing intrafamily violence is to place a complaint before the District Attorney officer. An arrest order is issued that the Police is in charge of executing. The attacker is brought in for questioning in company of the spouse, and a case is prepared which will be qualified as criminal or correctional. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
El Siglo carries today a report on intrafamily violence reports at the Department of Protection of Women at the National Police. Major Emilia Kelly Santana says that there have been 6,439 complaints of domestic violence placed at the department in the first 10 months of the year. She says during the same period last year … <\/p>\n