Romania requires a coherent national strategy on domestic violence, funded from public sources rather than solely through European projects, MP Alina Gorghiu, chair of the joint special committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on the legislation for preventing, combating, and sanctioning such acts, stated on Tuesday.
"Romania needs a coherent national strategy, funded from public resources, not just European projects. Without rapid intervention, consistent support, and genuine collaboration between institutions, domestic violence remains an open wound in our society. We will continue to demand transparency, accountability, and real solutions so that no woman or child is left alone in the face of violence," Gorghiu said at the conclusion of a committee meeting.
During Tuesday's session, attended by Luminita Popescu, chair of the National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men (ANES), several conclusions were drawn, including the fact that the agency has received zero funding from the state budget.
"Over the past five years, ANES has absorbed 55 million euros in European funds, yet state budget funding has been zero. Only 12,000 victims have benefited, directly or indirectly, from ANES support services - counselling, shelters, legal assistance," Gorghiu noted.
Participants also highlighted that under the VENUS project - "Together for a Safe Life" - each county has one protected residence, while Timis and Satu Mare each have two. Given the higher number of cases, there is a clear need to expand support capacity.
According to Gorghiu, other conclusions from the discussions included that hospitals have psychologists and social workers trained to support domestic violence victims - a crucial step for identifying and assisting women at risk; that cases of domestic violence continue to be underreported, leaving many victims invisible to the system; and that mobile intervention teams, intended to respond rapidly in emergencies, are only half operational nationwide.
"ANES also recognises serious problems in data collection and centralisation, making it impossible to gain a real picture of the phenomenon," added the chair of the "Romania Without Domestic Violence" Committee.
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