CSW63 Side Event: The Safety of Women - Penal Mediation in Greek Domestic Violence Legislation

The Division on Women and Crime (DWC) of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) partnered with the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations hosted a side event as part of the CSW63 titled “The Safety of Women: Penal Mediation in Greek Domestic Violence Legislation” on March 12, 2019 from 1:15-2:30pm in Conference Room D at the United Nations Headquarters. This is the first year that DWC and ASC participated at the CSW. This panel traced the historical development of domestic violence legislation and highlights global perspectives on legal reforms and judicial responses as a part of a comprehensive approach to address domestic violence. It then reviewed provisions of the Penal Mediation clause in Greek law and discussed how VIA-STOP implements this program to protect women and children. Theoretical implications from the domestic violence literature such as power and control, coordinated community response and restorative justice in relation to the penal mediation program were examined. The panel concluded with a conversation about challenges in implementation, and the need for research, training, and standardization of the mediation program to uphold women’s safety. Opening Remarks Ms. Maria Theofili, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN (Greece) Moderator & Panelist Dr. Sheetal Ranjan, Chair, Division on Women & Crime of the American Society of Criminology & Associate Professor, William Paterson University (USA) Panelists Ms. Marina Chrysoveloni, Deputy Minister of Interior in charge of Gender Equality (Greece) Dr. Sevaste Chatzifotiou, Associate Professor in Democritus University of Thrace (Greece) Ms. Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief, Ending Violence Against Women, UN Women (USA) Ms. Xeni Dimitriou, The General Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Greece (Greece) Ms. Eleni Fotou, Forensic Psychologist and Founding Partner of VIA-STOP (Greece) Photography & Videography sponsored by William Paterson University