Gypsy Jan - 6-14-2012 at 10:43 AM
Authorities south of the border will open 27 centers for women based on the San Diego model
SAN DIEGO. - "Authorities in Mexico plan to open 27 justice centers for women before the end of the year, based on the model of the San Diego Family
Justice Center.
For this reason, last week, 29 Mexican consultants were visiting the region to be trained in order to open these centers which aim to support women
and children who are victims of domestic violence.
Attorneys and service providers from Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Sonora, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Durango, Coahuila and Nayarit learned during a week on the justice
model implemented in the U.S., specifically in San Diego.
To this end, visits were made to the District Attorney's Office, Court and other sites of interest.
According to data released by the San Diego Family Justice Center, it is estimated that 43 percent of women in Mexico have experienced some form of
domestic violence.
"Rates of violence against women are high, as well as domestic violence and violence towards children, we must fight against it," said Margarita
Guerra Tejada, General Attorney at Law on Human Rights of the Office of Puebla.
The official highlighted the learning received in San Diego and she said, will have more tools to address a problem whose biggest barrier is fear to
report.
"We have a firm decision and the means to open a House of Justice for Women, this has given us great experience and support to implement the model
there," she said.
"We must carefully let the victims know, with psychological support, and with a loving and warm treatment, that there's a chance for them to go on
with their lives, and that they will have a support from us".
The creation of these centers is given at a time when some States in Mexico will implement the new criminal justice system, which includes among other
things, the use of oral trials.
According to Talia Pedraza, assistant director of the National Center area of Crime and Citizen Participation of the Ministry of the Interior, she
stressed the importance that during the visit, there was interaction with officials of States that already have this system and also with those
awaiting it.
"It is very important to make changes in Mexico, particularly changes to the model, because the new criminal justice system is about to be implemented
in other entities in the country," she said.
In a recent interview with La Jornada, the minister president of the Supreme Court's Office, Juan Silva Meza said that currently, only three States in
Mexico use the model in an integrated manner, that is, with the adversarial system; in seven other entities it is being partially applied, three more
of them are in a 'come into effect' phase, and 16 are in a planning phase.
In 2002, the National Family Justice Center in San Diego was opened, and with it, an international model was created with the vision to protect,
support and educates women and children victims of abuse; similarly, legal assistance and job opportunities are provided.
Based on the training received, Mexico will now have the world's second largest network of Family Justice Centers after the United States.
"It's an honor for us to share with them everything we've learned so they can have the opportunity to open such centers," Gael Strack, CEO and
co-founder of the National Family Justice Center Alliance.
The host of the workshops and courses said that her organization received about 20 thousand victims in the first five years of operation.
She said that they've collaborated with Mexico since 2003 and now is stronger than ever.
"I am so touch by the amount of courage and dedication and leadership of all these women who will be the directors of these centers, they're all in,
putting their hearts and soul, and many of them risking their lives to go forward and put this programs together", said the representative in regard
to the visit of the Mexican officials."
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