Every adult victim of domestic violence in Greece, regardless of gender, will now be granted free use of a ‘Panic Button’ application on their phones, ministers announced on Monday.
The Minister of Citizens’ Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, said expansion of the ‘Panic Button’ application throughout Greece was a priority for strengthening the personal protection and dealing with domestic violence.
“We stand by the victims to provide them with the necessary support and protection, immediately and effectively mobilising the security forces in cases of violence,” Chrysochoidis said.
“We are constantly updating and strengthening our actions for the protection of victims. In this context, we have [also] secured specially designed safe houses for the accommodation of victims of domestic violence,” he added.
Using their mobile phone, any adult in serious danger can immediately inform the police. The app works as a silent alarm; the attacker does not perceive the police notification alert coming from the victim.
The app is sponsored by the Police Departments and Counseling Centers of the Network of Structures of the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights of the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family.
Greek police departments handling gender-based violence started the pilot use of panic button apps in November 2022, but only in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Expansion of the application was urgently needed, the authorities said, given the persistence of domestic violence cases and murders of women.
In a recent case on May 16 in Menidi, a suburb in the East Attica region, a 40-year-old woman was murdered by her estranged 50-year-old husband. The victim had reported the perpetrator to the police on May 7.
In another recent case on April 1, a 28-year-old woman was stabbed repeatedly by her former partner outside the police station of Agioi Anargyroi in Athens. The woman had filed a lawsuit against the 39-year-old ex-partner in 2020 for alleged violence and rape.
Eleni Stamatoukou
https://balkaninsight.com/2024/05/20/greece-rolls-out-free-app-for-domestic-violence-victims/
