Intimate partner violence and custody rights - Exchange of views - 1.12.2020

03-12-2020 - 16:58
Children Victims or Witnesses of Gender-Based Violence within Families
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On 1 December 2020, the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) held a first exchange of views on the upcoming own-initiative report "The impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children" (2019/2166(INI)).

The exchange of views will feed into the preparation of the first phases of the report. The report would take into consideration the aspects of shared custody, implementation of the so-called parental alienation syndrome and economic violence. It would reflect on how to help prevent domestic abuse as joint custody and cooperative co-parenting are often unsafe for women who leave violent partners. Although certain legal protections are available, more work is needed to understand and address abused women's needs in this context and the impact of the situation on the children involved.