The open memorandum was released one week before Peru's general elections, as the congressional Commission on Women and Human Development drafts amendments to the Law for Protection from Family Violence. The New York-based rights group called for specific reforms to improve the family violence legislation and to strengthen its implementation. But Congress must now rectify the law's serious omissions.
Domestic violence is a serious, long-standing problem in Peru, with particular impact on women.
Every year, thousands are beaten, raped, or psychologically abused by their intimate partners. Peru adopted the Law for Protection from Family Violence in 1993. The law, one of the first of its kind to be adopted in Latin America, was intended to ensure that victims of domestic violence have swift and effective access to protection and justice, but its impact has been disappointing. Although strengthened in 1997, the law still contains serious flaws. It does not protect women from marital rape or stalking, nor does it apply to women who are harassed or beaten by intimate partners if they are not living together.