WRITTEN QUESTION P-0424/99

by Luisa Todini (PPE) to the Commission

(19 February 1999)

Subject: Sexual abuse of women

In judgment 1636 the Court of Appeal annulled the sentence handed down to a man accused of raping an 18 year old woman from Potenza, Italy, one of the grounds being the fact that there can be no sexual violence if the woman is wearing jeans since the rapist would not be able to remove them without his victim's collaboration: the woman in this case must therefore have been consenting.

What is even more perturbing than this incredible judgment is the political, cultural and social background that prompted it.

Does the Commission think that an awareness campaign on the sexual abuse of women can be launched under the Dafne programme?

Does it think it would be possible to act more incisively on this issue by ensuring greater coordination between the national authorities responsible for the protection of women who are the victims of violence?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 1999)

Under the Daphne programme(1) the Commission supported 29 projects in 1997 and 36 projects in 1998 to combat violence against women. A large number of these involved specifically sexual violence against women and awareness raising among the general public and among the target groups and those working with them. The Commission will continue to take full account of this type of violence and the necessary actions to combat it when drawing up its future Daphne programmes.

The Commission is currently also looking into the different systems for victims of crimes in general in the Member States, with a view to presenting its findings in the course of this year. The Commission has no role, however, to coordinate the Member States' national authorities responsible for the protection of women victims of violence at the judicial level. Nevertheless it will continue to play a full part in providing added value at Community level to the actions of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) combating violence against women through the Daphne programme. It will also continue to promote, through the STOP programme, actions of national authorities and officials combating a particular form of violence, namely trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The Commission has also, in co-operation with the Parliament and the Presidencies concerned, launched an awareness raising campaign against violence against women. This campaign is composed of several actions both on a European and a national level. It is funded both by the Daphne programme, as well as by the specific budget lines for special events and information campaigns (B-309 and B3-300). A first European conference of experts on violence against women was held on 30 November-4 December 1998 in co-operation with the Austrian Presidency. The specific theme was "Violence against women and the role of the police". The "White Ribbon Campaign" was launched in Strasbourg on 8 March 1999 with a white ribbon as a symbol of zero tolerance to violence against women. The campaign will also include an information, posters, the creation of a Web site, an Eurobarometer as well as the production of television advertising. The next event is a European ministerial conference on the theme violence against women to be held in Cologne on 28-30 March 1999 in co-operation with the German Presidency.

(1) COM(99) 82 final.