The Diotima Center in collaboration with ActionAid conducted a survey to record the experiences of migrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence of existing police reporting procedures.  Recorded were the gaps in interdisciplinary cooperation and the extent to which their needs were met, in the context of the overall operation and intervention of the response system.

In this framework, the weakness/inadequacy of the police system to effectively deal with domestic violence suffered by refugee women, especially those living in camps, was highlighted. 

More specifically, through the subjects’ narratives, a generalized confusion emerged regarding the information they have been given, incorrect information or even misinformation regarding the domestic violence reporting process, but also on the provisions of the law on domestic violence.

It was found that most women turned to the police because they had nowhere else to go (especially migrant women) and because they believed that the police represented the institution that could protect them in such conditions. 

Along the way, and despite poor information/support from the police, they continued to go because their lawyer had advised them to file a complaint, as this would strengthen their file before the court. 

However, in all their contacts with the police, the survivors were called upon to defend their experiences and their position and proceeded to indict the police for not applying the essence of the law, while at the same time they were forced to “clash” with a boulder of powers that includes structural violence, hegemonic discourses of Greekness and patriarchal narratives.

The other two points of focus of the research were:

• recording the needs of employees employed in structures and services of the State and Civil Society that provide assistance and support to victims of gender-based violence 
• recording the needs of police personnel involved in the management of incidents of domestic violence against refugee and/or migrant women

Executive Summary

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Research

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**The research was carried out in the framework of the project “Ariadne II: Development of interdisciplinary procedures for police registration aiming at the prevention and response to domestic violence against migrant and refugee women” which was implemented during the period April 2020 – April 2022, coordinated by KEMEA, with Diotima Center, KETHI, the Women’s Center of Karditsa, Action Aid Hellas and the Municipality of Athens as partners, and funded by DG Justice / Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme.