“Manuel Morais is an example of the attitude that should be expected of a policeman in a democratic society. I am here because I was challenged by him”, assumed Ana Gomes, the former MEP of the PS and human rights activist, in her short speech, this Tuesday, at the ceremony that marked the inauguration of the Observatório da Criança – 100 Violência headquarters, an association that promotes the fight and prevention of child abuse.
The event was marked mainly by the political and public weight of many personalities present, in a clear sign of support for this initiative that has as main engine this ex-unionist of the PSP – who became known to have warned of racism in the police. Manuel Morais, remember, is currently subject of a disciplinary inquiry for criticizing André Ventura and was removed from the biggest union, where he was a leader for over 30 years, due to his public complaints.
On the ‘table of honor’, alongside Ana Gomes, were, in addition to Manuel Morais himself, an agent of the PSP Intervention Corps, the Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, the former minister of the same tutelage, Rui Pereira, who he is the honorary president of the association, the Secretary of State for Justice, Mário Morgado (who replaced Minister Francisca Van Dunem) and the retired adviser judge, Bernardo Colaço, who is also part of the Observatory. There was also a place marked for Cabrita’s predecessor, the former minister and now deputy Constança Urbano de Sousa, who never came.
The assistance was also attended by other prominent figures, both from the security forces and from entities that work with children: in the front row was the national director of the PJ, Luís Neves, the national inspector of the PSP, Pedro Clemente, the deputy national director. of SEF, the chairman of the Commission for Support to Victims of Violent Crimes, Carlos Anjos, the chairman of the Child Support Institute (IAC), Dulce Rocha, and the Commander of the Municipal Police of Lisbon himself, chief superintendent of the PSP, who ceded the facilities for the ceremony.
Defeating “attacks on civism and human rights”
The 100 Violence Association – Observatório da Criança was created in 2015 and has organized conferences and debates on the topic. It is also responsible for training professionals from various sectors of activity in detecting signs of abuse in children, a project with European funding.
To introduce the theme of violence against children, Ana Gomes also recalled the recent case of Cláudia Simões, the Portuguese woman of Angolan origin “brutally beaten by a policeman for racist hatred” in Amadora. “I was very concerned by the child, the eight-year-old daughter, who watched it all and nobody spoke of her. She was also a victim of abuse for what happened to her mother, but also of psychological abuse,” he said.
we need to join forces, as this society is losing quality and that concerns us all. We need to pool our energy to defeat the attacks on civism, human rights and everything that democracy has given us. Act! The country needs everyone
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Manuel Morais also insisted on stressing that “nobody” was “in that room by chance: there are people capable of changing this society for the better”. That is why, he stressed, “we need to join forces, as this society is losing quality and that concerns us all. We must join our energy to defeat the attacks on civism, human rights and everything that democracy has done to us. acted! Act! The country needs everyone “.
Children watch 45% of cases of domestic violence
From the Minister of Justice, through the voice of Mário Morgado, she heard that it was “with great honor” that she participated in the ceremony of this association that has a “group of excellence”, a position “entirely shared and supported by the government”. The Secretary of State recalled that in international assessments of children’s rights, “Portuguese laws are often considered exemplary”. However, he acknowledged, “however winding the path is, we must travel it”.
We do not want security forces that are distant or feared by citizens. (…) It is decisive for the image of policemen
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Eduardo Cabrita said that “in good time, dear Manuel Morais” had invited him “to mark this very important day of civic combat”. He considered it “very significant that” that association “brought together personalities such as the director of the PJ, the deputy national director of the SEF, the national inspector of the PSP, and directors of the IAC and APAV”. And he gave the message: “We don’t want security forces that are distant or feared by citizens. We want children to recognize the policemen at Escola Segura. We want security forces in the first line of preventing and fighting fires; to know where the isolated elderly are and can be a friendly voice. It is decisive for the image of policemen “.
The minister recalled that in 45% of the cases of domestic violence children watch the attacks and in 10% of the cases they are victims themselves. “With associations like this, we can put this issue on our agenda day by day. Congratulations 100 Violence,” he said.
The magistrate Bernardo Colaço, took the opportunity to stress, mainly to the politicians in charge, that “if there was a properly structured community and proximity policing, this Observatory would be an enormous asset”.
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