TACTICS

Improve cooperation, reduce risk! Together against violence against women!

Under the title “TACTICS – Improving the response and follow-up of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence by police authorities”, GESINE Intervention has been working on a three-year EU project since April 2023. The project focuses on improving the immediate response and subsequent intervention steps of police authorities in cases of domestic violence and expanding cooperation with perpetrator programmes and specialised victim protection institutions such as women counselling centres, intervention centres, women’s shelters, etc. to implement a comprehensive high-risk management.

When police officers are told about cases of domestic violence, they have various intervention tools at their disposal. Besides to the separate questioning of victims and suspects and a restraining order, these also include de-escalation detention and referring the victim to an intervention centre. Domestic violence requires a clear and unequivocal response from the state to hold the perpetrator accountable by the police and the judiciary. Comprehensive psychosocial and legal counselling for victims enables them to examine and initiate the necessary legal measures. Psychosocial stabilisation after acts of violence creates the conditions for victims to recover from the violence they have experienced in the medium term and to take steps to protect themselves and their children from further violence. Various obstacles, including structural, organisational and individual ones, prevent law enforcement agencies from making the necessary referrals and establishing comprehensive risk management.

Studies have shown that in many EU countries there are obstacles in recognising potential risks of violence and providing victims with the necessary protection and support. Ultimately, this leads to a persistently high number of attempted murders and completed femicides in the various EU countries. In Germany alone, around 1,600 women have been killed by their partner or ex-partner in the last 10 years.

It has also been shown that there is an increased risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence in various life situations. There are also major gaps in recognising the risk of violence and appropriate police intervention in some life situations, which can be,for example, disability, the need for care, old age, homelessness, living in institutions (asylum, care home, etc.). For their part, those affected face major obstacles in accessing legal help and psychosocial counselling.

Together with experts from 6 other European countries, GESINE Intervention will work towards overcoming the existing obstacles. The aim is to improve the protection of women and their children from acute violence by jointly analysing the gaps in protection, developing effective intervention measures and implementing appropriate training for the police, judges, public prosecutors and psychosocial professionals.

Our work

During the three-year project period, the TACTICS team will:

• analyse police and judicial practice in domestic violence in 7 European countries: Estonia, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain and Romania
• develop strategies and expand cooperation to support inter-agency collaboration between police, justice, victim protection and intervention services and perpetrator programmes
• Improve existing training material to improve the prosecution of perpetrators and the protection of women and children, taking into account their individual life and risk situation (e.g. age, dependency, homelessness, precarious social situation, etc.).
• Develop and share effective data collection and digital tools for the continuous improvement of coordinated measures.
• Implement structural changes and formalise cooperation between the police, judiciary, women’s protection facilities and intervention agencies by concluding cooperation agreements.

Project Team

• The University of Tartu, leading university in the Baltics with expertise in developing innovative digital tools used in the public sector, responsible for coordination of the TACTICS project
• Psytel, France is a cooperative of independent experts working in the field of information systems in health and prevention of violence against children, adolescents and women, responsible for analysis of TACTICS targeted regions
• UWAH, NGO from Greece active in raising awareness and advocating for human rights, responsible for regional roadmaps for IPV response in TACTICS
• MEFH, The Movement for Equality between Women and Men is a non-profit organisation from Belgium that develops initiatives and studies to combat discrimination based on sex, responsible for reviewing gender-sensitivity of TACTICS project outputs
• GESINE, Frauen helfen Frauen from Germany, is a centre for prevention, information, protection and support in the event of gender-related violence against women, responsible for research and capacity building in Germany in TACTICS project
• CIMTM is a feminist organisation working on gender based violence, including intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation, responsible for research and capacity building in Spain in TACTICS project
• The University of Babes-Bolyai, the oldest university in Romania with a strong network of collaborating organisations, including police and victim support services. Romania, responsible for project evaluation of TACTICS
• WWP EN in Germany is the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, responsible for communications and dissemination for TACTICS
• WSIC, from Estonia is a domestic violence shelter offering comprehensive assistance to women trying to break the cycle of domestic violence, responsible for efforts to address system barriers in TACTICS

News and updates

February 2024: We have reached our first milestone and submitted a first country report entitled “Regional Report on existing Domestic Violence Respons System between police and professionals”. GESINE’s task was to interview the different actors in contact with victims of violence, as well as victims themselves, and to gain new insights into existing procedures. In addition, expert committees were formed with whom we will work on specific “sticking points” in the coming months.

December 2023: An information sheet on the project has been published. Download here….

In September 2023, GESINE Intervention will start with interviews with professionals who work with or come into contact with domestic violence and with victims of domestic violence to analyse the current situation in dealing with domestic violence.

We will keep you informed and up to date

Source and further information: https://www.work-with-perpetrators.eu/tactics