Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04SANTODOMINGO150
2004-01-09 12:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:  

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER

Tags:  KCRM KWMN PHUM DR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANTO DOMINGO 000150 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR G/TIP (HOLLIDAY),WHA/PPC (FALLS),WHA/CAR
(MCISAAC)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER
EVALUATION

REF: A. 03 SECSTATE 327381


B. 03 SANTO DOMINGO 6023

SUMMARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANTO DOMINGO 000150

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR G/TIP (HOLLIDAY),WHA/PPC (FALLS),WHA/CAR
(MCISAAC)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER
EVALUATION

REF: A. 03 SECSTATE 327381


B. 03 SANTO DOMINGO 6023

SUMMARY


1. On December 23 NAS Director and emboffs visited the
drop-in center for victims of domestic violence in Bani to
gauge its progess since inception in 2001. Center director
Bibiana Nunez continues to run the center with limited
resources but appears motivated to sustain the center's
needed presence. She reiterated her appreciation for the
USG's fulfillment of requirements outlined in the letter of
agreement (LOA). Based on this visit as well as past
communication (Ref B) the Dominican Government (in this case
represented by the Secretariat of Women, the National Police
and the Attorney General) is slowly implementing the LOA but
much remains to be done. End Summary.


2. The following are responses to Ref A questions:

Fiscal Responsibility
a) Embassy NAS office has liquidated the following items:

2001:
--Office furnishings (desks, chairs, ceiling fans, etc):
$16,329.79
--3 computers and printers: $3,084.61
--Office and kitchen supplies: $8,013.98
--Solar power: $9,094.77

2002:
--Installation and repair of solar panels: $2,450
--Solar energy maintenance: $750
--2002 Mitsubish Truck: $14,525.14

2003:
--Canon Copier: $1,180
--Solar energy removal/reinstallation and electrial rewiring
at new location: $3,695.17


b) Purchased items are in use or have been used appropriately
by the center. A substantial portion of program funds was
spent on relocation expenses due to lease problems with the
previous landlord. NAS intended to fund training for center
personnel in 2002, but funds for this purpose were not
obligated.

c) GODR expenditures for center operations are disbursed by
three offices: the National Police, the Attorney General and
the Secretariat of Women. The following is a breakdown of
what each office covers:

National Police
--1 telephone line
--3 police officers
--2 police supervisors
--1 police chauffeur
--3 psychologists

Attorney General
--1 telephone line (to be used for Internet connection)
--salaries for center director, 1 secretary and 1 courier

Secretariat of Women

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--monthly rent and utilities
--salary for 1 social worker (recently assigned in January 04)

--license plates and car insurance for Mitsubishi truck

Meeting Objectives and Goals

d) The center currently has a staff of thirteen. Center
Director Bibiana Nunez told emboffs that all staff have been
trained on the Dominican Republic's Law Against Domestic
Violence (24-97). She also said that new staff would be
trained on the criminal procedures code as well, which is
scheduled for implementation by September 2004 (septel to
follow).

e) Legal assistance for victims was limited because the GODR
has not yet assigned lawyers to the center. Center Director
Nunez provides informal legal counsel to clients, but she
complained that this "complicates her function as a public
servant". She often performs several tasks at once, from
director to lawyer to family therapist to social worker. The
following are 2003 statistics about services provided by the
center:

--1,101 appointments
--138 cases resulted in family therapy
--175 "amicable agreements" reached
--76 arrest orders issued by National Police
--465 complaints of domestic violence
--148 domestic violence cases submitted to justice
--120 provisional protection orders issued by the Public
Ministry

f) Medical and psychological services were also limited.
However, 138 cases involved family therapy as mentioned
above. In some instances clients were referred to local NGOS
due to lack of professional staff. There are no medical
professionals currently working at the center. Center
Director Nunez reported that whenever a client has an obvious
medical condition (i.e. bruises, scars) she and/or the police
chauffeur takes the individual to the local hospital,
conveniently located across the street. The three
psychologists provided by the National Police are
insufficient to meet demand. According to Center Director
Nunez, each of the psychologists works 1-2 days a week but
there is never more than one psychologist available at one
time.

g) The drop-in center offered approximately 20 community
seminars during 2003 to raise public awareness about domestic
violence and legal penalties. The center also provides
numerous brochures and posters to local NGOs and associations
(including the National Lawyer's Association local branch)
promoting Law 24-97. The center spearheaded the creation of
the "Family Unity Movement" in the Peravia province in order
to promote familial responsbility for proper child-rearing
and education. According to Nunez, emphasizing the family
unit is key to preventing domestic abuse. In addition, the
Secretariat of Women formed an inter-agency Network Against

SIPDIS
Domestic Violence in which the drop-in center is involved.

GODR Commitments

h) Center Director Nunez continues to complain that she does
not receive 100% support from partners National Police,
Attorney General and the Secretariat of Women. Each time
emboffs visit or communicate with her by phone she reminds us
of a September 2002 embassy-hosted lunch, during which an
"informal agreement" was reached on how GODR responsibilities
for the center would be divided. Nunez and emboffs came up
with a list that was then shared with all interested parties.
According to Nunez and embassy records, the following
circumstances exist:

The National Police agreed to provide 10 full time police
officers, 2 police chauffeurs and 1 telephone line. To date
the police have provided 5 police officers, 1 chauffer, 3
psychologists, and 1 telephone line.

The Attorney General agreed to provide 1 forensic specialist,
1 secretary, 1 messenger, and 1 telephone line for Internet
usage. The center currently has a secretary and a messenger
provided by the Attorney General's office.

The Secretariat of Women agreed to pay for the center's rent
and utilities, 2 lawyers, 1 social worker, 2 receptionists, 2
secretaries and 2 porters (watchmen). To date, the

SIPDIS
Secretariat has agreed to pay rent for a 3-year lease

SIPDIS
(although they failed to maintain rent payments at the prior
locale) and provided 1 social worker who happens to be a
lawyer. The Secretariat also agreed to purchase license
plates and car insurance for the Mitsubishi truck paid for by
NAS. These payments, however, were not fulfilled until
November/December 2003--several months after the vehicle was
already in use.

Comment and Additional Observations


3. (SBU) Some of the interested parties, namely the National
Police and the Attorney General, are conveniently using the
excuse that the LOA was signed between the U.S. Government
and the Secretariat of Women--not with them. The 2002
"informal agreement" probably should have been written as an
LOA addendum in order to hold everyone accountable. Future
LOAs should fully consider all the parties required for
successful implementation. In hindsight, the Secretariat of
Women was probably not the best party with whom to sign an
agreement. According to NAS Assistant, the Secretariat of
Women has been described in some conversations with male GODR
officials as "a bunch of nagging women." Officials at the
National Police, the Attorney General's offfice, the
Secretariat of Foreign Relations and some NGOs have a

SIPDIS
negative impression of the Secretariat of Women as being a
ministry that is good for looking pretty and talking a good
game but nothing more.


4. (SBU) Center Director Bibiana Nunez appears to have her
heart in the right place but she is not very well organized,
perhaps due to the lack of GODR support and resources. She
seems convinced that her Dominican goverment interlocutors
react only when the U.S. Embassy tells them to jump. As a
result, she frequently calls the embassy whenever something
goes wrong, no matter how big or small. She remains
frustrated and suspicious that certain GODR officials are
looking to oust her due to the perceived close relationship
she shares with the embassy. Nunez continues to hang in
there, knowing that the embassy stands behind the original
premise of the center's establishment--to address a human
rights concern in the Dominican Republic.


5. (SBU) The drop-in center definitely has areas for
improvement, but embassy is of the opinion that the project
was and is necessary. Future grants and donations are very
much needed to pursue other priorities (such as trafficking
in persons). Economic conditions are not likely to improve
anytime soon, and many USG-supported projects will rely on
U.S. funds more than ever, now that the GODR is struggling to
meet basic everyday commitments.
MARSHALL