Gabinete de Apoio à Vítima (GAV) do Alto Alentejo Oeste (“Victim Support Office of Alto Alentejo West”)

The Alto Alentejo region is characterised by its vast size and geographic dispersion, a high level of isolation among its population, and a limited or even non-existent public transportation network.

The Victim Support Office (GAV) is a local office that aims to:

• provide support services to citizens who are victims of crime and their families within their communities;
• develop close and consistent relationships within local organisations;
• ensure optimal use of available resources to provide the best possible response to victims of crime in that community.

APAV is Portugal’s largest private non-profit organisation providing support services to victims of crime. On May 10, 2017, the headquarters of the Victim Support Office (GAV) of Alto Alentejo Oeste (AAO) was inaugurated in the city of Ponte de Sor, becoming APAV’s 16th GAV. Given the geographical structure of the Alto Alentejo territory, the GAV AAO has an itinerant component, making support more accessible to all victims. Together with the victim, GAV staff identify the location for the support process that best guarantees the victim’s safety and privacy.

The mobile team was created in response to the territory’s population density: it is based in the municipality with the highest population density, and on other days of the week its members travel to the surrounding municipalities to provide support, covering seven municipalities across the Alto Alentejo in total. Since around 80% of cases relate to domestic violence, victims also feel more comfortable receiving support in neutral spaces, such as libraries or social resource centres, that are not easily identifiable as specialised support services.

The team is multidisciplinary, encompassing the three core areas of APAV’s work: social, legal, and psychological support for victims. Its travel schedule varies each week, as members not only provide direct assistance to victims but also carry out prevention initiatives and awareness-raising training sessions.

• APAV, association of support to victims.
• Police (PSP – Polícia de Segurança Pública and GNR – Guarda Nacional Republicana).
• Hospitals and Health Centers.
• Câmaras Municipais (Municipal Chambers).

The territory’s vast size (3,601 km²) and geographical dispersion continue to justify a strong commitment to victim support and protection services in this region. With its physical headquarters and regular opening hours every working day in Ponte de Sor, the GAV of Alto Alentejo Oeste also includes a mobile component, offering its support services to victims of crime once a week in each of the other seven registered municipalities. A mobile GAV does more than improve the population’s access to this type of response — it is also a methodology that contributes to real equality of opportunities in accessing services that protect the rights of victims of crime — services that are normally concentrated in district capitals or areas with higher population density.

GAV’s work in Alto Alentejo Oeste is grounded in strong collaboration with registered entities and other informal partners across the territory.

By operating in harder-to-reach areas, the mobile office aims to reduce territorial inequalities and bring assistance closer to the vulnerable populations that APAV supports.

The most significant technological shift in APAV’s work has been the introduction of a free hotline and online case management.

The operational details of the mobile office will be addressed in the interviews.

The GAV’s impact appears to have been considerable. According to the APAV 2017 Statistics – Victim Support Office of Alto Alentejo Oeste, the GAV of Alto Alentejo Oeste recorded a total of 70 victim support cases and 61 direct victims of crime and other forms of violence between May and December 2017. A further 219 crimes and other forms of violence were identified, with crimes against persons accounting for approximately 88.1% of the total. Domestic violence was the most prominent category, particularly cases of physical and psychological abuse.

• The importance of scaling up the fieldwork already carried out.
• The need for investment in better conditions to support people living far from central areas.
• The value of the mobile approach as a preventive tool, protecting potential victims of crime in harder-to-reach areas.
• The importance of engaging local stakeholders and fostering partnerships and collaboration.

• Support actions for victims, while necessary, are only truly impactful when combined with prevention measures.
• Lack of solid, sustained investment and funding.
• Dependence on political interests and priorities, which may shift over time.
• The need to adapt to local contexts and cultural profiles.
• The need for more human resources to sustain this mobile, itinerant approach.
• Ongoing training and awareness-raising on victim-centred support and a culture of non-violence.

The results are promising, but it remains to be seen whether funding will be available for the GAV to keep operating.