Danish help to women victims of violence
Danish help to women victims of violence
In Denmark, before a person can be divorced he or she must undergo a period of legal separation.This legal separation is a form of trial period during which the husband and wife live apart. In accordance with Danish law, a spouse who does not believe that it is possible for him or herself to continue the marital union has the right to instigate legal separation.No given reason is required by law other than that the individual does not feel capable of continuing in the marriage. Firstly, the parties are legally separated and, if both spouses agree to divorce, they may be legally divorced after 6 months of separation.Should one party not agree to the divorce, a spouse can become legally divorced following a period of 12 months separation. In cases involving infidelity or violence within a marriage, divorce can be granted immediately – providing that the violence has been reported to the police or that medical reports can substantiate the fact that a person is the victim of violence. In infidelity cases, a statement from the third party stating that they have been involved with the relevant spouse, is required.
Although the story was fictional, the situation is a real one for many Danish women. Each year more than 2,000 women victims of violence stay at a shelter. If they knock on the door of one of Denmark’s biggest shelters, Danner in Copenhagen, they can get help right there and then and over a longer period, tells Danner Managing Director Vibe Klarup Voetmann:
“In the acute phase, we of course offer protection – but also practical help. This, for example, can include getting documentation of the violence from the hospital and police, as well as collecting important possessions from the victim’s home. At the same time, we offer counselling sessions in which the woman, and her children if necessary, can get help to work through the experience.”
When a woman leaves Danner, typically after three months, she can continue to receive help - for example, contact with the social authorities or help to determine her dreams and life ambitions.
A struggle to establish Denmark’s first shelter
Danner was one of the first shelters in Denmark. It opened in the heart of Copenhagen 31 years ago in the wake of a growing public debate about violence against women – an issue that was relatively taboo and viewed as something to be dealt with privately.
The shelter itself has its own dramatic story to tell. Built between 1873-1875 as an ‘institution for necessitous women’, the building was founded by Danish Countess Danner, who herself came from a humble background, but who later wed Denmark’s King Frederik VII. However, back in 1879, only four women resided in the building’s ground floor and the trustees were forced to put the building up for sale. With the threat of sale looming, a large group of women moved in to occupy the building and thereafter raised millions of Kroner in order to buy the building and convert it into a shelter for women. The driving force behind Danner was originally voluntary, but today 25 employees and approx. 180 volunteers ensure the shelter’s daily running.
As a cornerstone of a strong shelter movement, Danner was the first in a line of 45 shelters, which today are spread across Denmark, and it was instrumental in the introduction of new legislation.
All women are entitled to stay at a shelter
Women who are the victims of violence in Denmark have the legal right to stay at a shelter and, in accordance with the law, all shelters must provide support and care to both the women and any children they may have. In addition, the children are entitled to psychological counselling.
The law also stipulates that local authorities must ensure that there are enough shelter places for women and children. Moreover, as a woman, it is possible to contact the shelter directly without having to go to the social authorities or the police first.
However, according to the Danish Association of Women’s Shelters, LOKK (which is the organisation overseeing all the shelters in Denmark), even though these shelters have proven to be a success, there is still much that can be done to help women victims of violence – not least within the field of legislation.
Outdated legislation
When a women contacts a shelter she is in immediate need of help, but she also has a long process ahead of her before being completely free from the violent relationship. But according to LOKK, this is something which current legislation does not take into account.
One problem is that of financial support. Many women victims of violence are financially dependent upon their husband. However, the do not have the right to financial support before they are legally separated* or divorced because, in Denmark, a spouse is required by law to provide financial support and separation and divorce proceedings can be lengthy. Another problem is the fact that the law does not ensure that a woman can stay at a shelter as long as is needed.
“This is a major problem because women who are victims of violence need time, counselling and support if they are to avoid returning back to an existence suffering from violence. You can compare it to alcoholism. It’s necessary to go through a process to emerge at the other end”, explains Lene Johansson, secretariat director in LOKK. Nor does the law ensure that a woman has support when she has left the shelter or provide for psychological counselling for the adult victims of violence.
“Basically, the law merely provides a shoulder to cry on which is a leftover from old times when the shelters were run solely by volunteers”, explains Lene Johansson.
As a result, one of LOKK’s objectives today is to influence Danish politicians to achieve a modernisation of legislation. LOKK additionally offers professional support to the workers within the shelters and operates a 24-hour telephone helpline for women affected by violence.
New times, new practices
Since the opening of the very first shelter, the issue of violence against women has become a social responsibility. For the shelters, the task is still to protect and support women and their children. But times have changed.
The group of women who are affected by violence has changed in its makeup so that today 40% of those seeking help have been born in a country other than Denmark. In the majority of cases, the perpetrator of the violence is a Danish man. Today, much more focus is placed upon the perpetrator and in Danner, which was a pioneer in this area, new paths are again being explored. The shelter is now also supplemented with a research centre.
“The times of grassroots and slogans are long gone. Now we have to focus on effective prevention, on the responsibilities of the man, and on the new types of violence affecting women today. One example is the violence girlfriends can experience from their boyfriends – it can become a vicious circle as a victim of a violent relationship at an early age is more likely than others to return to a violent relationship later in life”, explains Vibe Klarup Voetmann.
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