A new platform to combat gender-based and domestic violence, called “Red Flagging,” is being developed, according to a statement made Monday by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, on Monday before the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights.

The Minister of Justice noted, among other things, that 10,000 cases of gender-based and domestic violence have been reported to the police over the past 5 years, and nearly 7,000 have reached the courts. The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights examined, on its own initiative, the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in light of recent cases of femicide.

Mr. Fytiris also noted that a platform called “Red Flagging” is being developed to address gender-based and domestic violence. At the same time, he noted that there is a lack of cooperation among the relevant agencies in handling cases of violence.

In his opening remarks, the Committee Chair, AKEL MP Christos Christofides, stated that there is a significant legislative framework in place, a National Coordinating Body, specialized police units, and protocols, as well as the implementation of ELPIS. 

At the same time, he highlighted seven “major gaps” in the areas of data, high-risk assessment, service weapons, interagency cooperation, the progression of a case through the justice system, institutional learning following a femicide or attempted femicide, as well as the legislative and preventive timeline.

“The vision is simple but demanding: from the moment violence is first reported, the state must act as a unified body so that a woman does not have to become the coordinator of her own protection. She should not have to know which door to knock on or which agency failed to notify the other,” Mr. Christofides emphasized.

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For his part, Minister of Justice and Public Order Kostas Fytiris said he considers “the issue of gender-based violence to be very important and very critical,” adding that 10,000 cases of gender-based and domestic violence have been reported to the police over the past five years, and nearly 7,000 have reached the courts. He also referred to the planned launch of the Red Flagging platform, noting that he had held meetings with relevant agencies in this context.

At the same time, Mr. Fytiris pointed out that “we lack the close, coordinated cooperation needed to prevent such situations,” adding that victims of violence and threats must be addressed simultaneously with the perpetrators. “If a woman reports on Saturday night that she is being subjected to violence, what will happen?” he asked, noting that “we must establish an Emergency Response Center” to effectively handle these issues.

The Minister of Justice’s external advisor on IT matters, Pavlos Charalambous, discussed the process of implementing the platform, which will include identifying incidents that could escalate into violence and recording them to alert the relevant authorities.

All government agencies will have access to the platform’s information, he clarified, expressing the hope that the platform will be ready by the end of the year.

MPs Argentoula Ioannou of AKEL and Diana Konstantinidi of Direct Democracy sought clarification on how the platform would operate.

Responding to Ms. Ioannou and Ms. Konstantinidi, Mr. Charalambous stated that the platform will focus on the secondary level of violence prevention.

DISY MP Michalis Kounounis noted that the police force must be adequately staffed to handle such situations.

Responding to Mr. Kounounis, the Minister of Justice said that a special unit should be created within the police force to handle incidents of violence.

The Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Tina Pavlou, stated that “if the state does not act as a unified body, we will not achieve the results we want,” emphasizing the need for full coordination among the relevant agencies.

Ms. Pavlou noted that she had met with the Minister of Justice, adding that weaknesses in the operation of the Women’s Shelter have been identified and are being addressed, as well as shortcomings in shelters for victims of violence, which have been prioritized for resolution.

The Commissioner for Legislation, Sophia Kleopa Hatzikyriakou, highlighted the need to streamline procedures related to court proceedings involving cases of violence.

Semeli Vyzakou, a representative of the Mental Health Services, stressed the need to strengthen the Women’s Shelter.

The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Jozy Christodoulou, stated that “we are in the process of training staff on the issue of gender budgeting.”

Maria Epameinonda, Executive Director of the Cyprus Family Planning Association (KSOP), expressed concerns about the creation of the Red Flagging platform and asked whether it was based on experiences from abroad, to which Mr. Charalambous replied in the affirmative.

Georgia Parmaki, Organizational Secretary of the POGO Women’s Movement, noted that femicide is the culmination of a long-standing situation. “All stakeholders must work together to ensure that this situation does not escalate into femicide,” she emphasized. The platform is a positive initiative, but there are more important steps that need to be taken, she added.

Eleni Karaoli of the Socialist Women’s Movement expressed concern about the delays affecting the operation of the Women’s House.

Responding to the representatives of women’s organizations, the Minister of Justice, Kostas Fytiris, asked that the platform be given time to become operational, urging the organizations to submit their recommendations.

The representative of the Advisory Committee for the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence (SEPKVO) welcomed the initiative for the platform.

Andri Andronikou, Scientific Director of the Association for the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence (SPAVO), proposed a housing program and a plan for reintegration into the labor market for victims of domestic violence.

Suzana Pavlou, Director of the Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies (MIGS), raised questions about the platform’s operation and recommended that existing protocols be reviewed and evaluated. 

Mr. Fytiris stated that he would organize a new meeting with all relevant agencies and organizations to present the Red Flagging platform.

Iphigenia Katsi, a representative of the Cyprus Women’s Lobby, highlighted gaps in the operation of services that assist victims of violence.

Mary Pyrgou, President of the “Femonoi” Foundation, emphasized the need for coordination and cooperation among services, as well as the development of a more detailed action plan.

Naya Christodoulou, an official with the Office of the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights, noted that most problems stem from a lack of coordination among agencies.

Elena Clerides, a spokesperson for the Legal Service, said, “We stand by victims of gender-based violence from the beginning to the end of the criminal proceedings.”

The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, AKEL MP Christos Christofides, welcomed the initiative to create the platform, while expressing concern about the lack of a timeline for the legislative changes that need to be made. 

AKEL Member of Parliament Anastasia Hasikou said that there are legislative gaps that should have been addressed many years ago. There is a lack of transparency in the handling of a case, she noted.

AKEL MP Argentoula Ioannou highlighted the need to train police officers who handle cases of gender-based and domestic violence and proposed the creation of gender-based violence units within the Police.

There is a lack of coordination among officials at the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Ms. Ioannou noted. Legal assistance for victims of violence must be immediate and direct, she emphasized.

DISY MP Dimos Georgiadis asked whether information gathered on the cases would be added to the platform and whether artificial intelligence would be used to streamline procedures and reduce the likelihood of human error.

DISY MP Giorgos Lysandridis welcomed the initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Justice.

DISY MP Michalis Kounounis said, “We’ve all recognized the problem, but we’re not all on the same team. We should all be moving in the same direction,” he emphasized.

ELAM MP Polys Anogiriatis welcomed the creation of the platform.

DIKO MP Andreas Apostolou congratulated the Ministry of Justice and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, saying that “things are finally falling into place.” “We shouldn’t wait for legislative gaps to be closed before moving forward with solutions,” he noted.

Diana Konstantinidi, a member of the Direct Democracy party, asked how the personal data of victims of violence is protected in the event of a cyberattack. She also asked at what stage of the process the Red Flagging platform would be activated. There are no women’s shelters in the Famagusta District, she noted. 

Justice Minister Costas Fytiris said he would arrange a meeting with the Committee to present the platform. The Ministry is paying close attention to the issue of gender-based and domestic violence and will do everything it can to improve the situation, he added.

Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou noted that plans are underway to establish a women’s shelter for the districts of Larnaca and Famagusta. 

At the end of the Human Rights Committee meeting, its Chair, AKEL MP Christos Christofides, stated that “there are issues on which we have received no response at all and issues on which we have not received satisfactory responses.”

He also noted that the Committee will give the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare until the end of the year to review the progress on the pending issues, adding that there will be a new Committee meeting on the matter in 1.5 months.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Christofides stated that “today’s announcement by the Minister of Justice regarding the platform for horizontal coordination among all relevant agencies” constitutes “a positive step.” 

“We want timelines; otherwise, we will once again be left waiting, lives will be ruined, and lives may even be lost,” he emphasized.

DISY MP Dimos Georgiadis stated that the Ministry of Justice’s initiative “is a positive step toward addressing domestic violence; while it certainly won’t solve all the problems, it is one of the key factors in resolving the issue.”

ELAM MP Polys Anogiriatis, stated that “we view the promotion of the Red Flag platform positively,” noting, however, that “it is not enough to simply create platforms.” 

“We also need an effective government apparatus. We need a police force that responds immediately, social services that can intervene, and a judicial system that protects victims and punishes the actual perpetrators,” he emphasized.

Diana Konstantinidi, a member of the Direct Democracy party, stated that femicides “are an issue we do not want to witness.” 

“We do not want any woman to find herself in this situation, because it is a cycle of violence that starts with very simple acts and escalates all the way to femicide,” she noted.

Source: CNA