US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO6023

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 006023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), DRL/PHD (GILBRIDE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, KWMN, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND POLICE ABUSE CENTERS: HUMAN 
RIGHTS CONCERNS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
 
REF: STATE 279217 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) Poloff and DRL Karen Gilbride called on human rights 
partners in Santo Domingo and Bani on October 20-21. In an 
effort to emphasize Embassy concerns with recent upsurges in 
domestic violence and continuing human rights abuses by the 
National Police, Poloff and DRL officer Karen Gilbride met 
with local counterparts, such as the Director of an 
Anti-Domestic Violence Center, the Secretary of Women, and 
Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) grantees selected to 
create police abuse prevention offices (reftel). Grantees 
were enthusiastically optimistic about establishing a 
database to catalogue complaints against police; they 
considered it a long overdue mechanism to help address human 
rights abuses.  Implementing partners include an 
unconventional mix of two respected human rights NGOs and the 
Dominican Government's Institute of Dignity and Humanity 
(IDIH), administrated by a Police General who is also a 
former Director of Prisons.  However, sustaining USG-funded 
projects (past and present) will require pressuring the GODR 
to fulfill its commitment.  Engagement by grantees is 
evident, but the GODR as a whole must back up its human 
rights responsibilities to the citizenry with action. End 
Summary. 
 
ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER LACKS RESOURCES 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) On October 20 DRL officer Karen Gilbride, poloff and 
NAS program assistant traveled to Bani, a city in the 
southwestern province of San Cristobal, to meet with Bibiana 
Nunez, director of an Anti-Domestic Violence Center that was 
partially funded by NAS.  Director Nunez expressed 
frustration with the National Police (PN), the Attorney 
General's office and the Secretariat of Women for not fully 
implementing their contributions outlined in a Letter of 
Agreement (LOA) signed in 2002.  (Note: In September poloff 
and NAS program assistant met with Nunez, who at that time 
was preparing to avoid eviction from the original facility 
because the Secretariat of Women had not paid rent. End 
Note.)  Now comfortably re-located in a bigger facility, the 
Center continues to confront critical staff shortages and 
lack of operational support, including but not limited to: 
lawyers, a psychologist and a social worker that the 
Secretariat of Women agreed to provide, more Police 
 
SIPDIS 
protection, and a medical technologist and Internet 
connection to be provided by the Attorney General. 
 
3. (U) During the October 20 meeting with Director Nunez, 
Gilbride and Emboffs witnessed an interview of a family 
victimized by domestic violence and suspected sexual abuse of 
minors.  There were more than 50 men, women and children 
scattered inside and outside of the building, all waiting to 
talk with Ms. Nunez while she juggled the sensitive family 
interview, numerous phone calls and impatient clients. 
Except for two police officers, a volunteer handyman and a 
part-time community worker, there was nobody present to help 
Ms. Nunez maintain order.  She informed us that Mondays were 
typically busy, because domestic violence is most likely to 
occur on weekends.  She also said that her Center receives 
anywhere from 20-30 physical abuse cases monthly; local 
newspapers have reported that 110 women have been killed to 
date locally in crimes of passion, compared with 119 for all 
of 2002.  Ms. Nunez' concerns included: lack of training for 
police officers assigned to the Center, lack of a 
psychologist, lack of a social worker, lack of a physician to 
evaluate sexual abuse victims, and general lack of support 
for domestic violence survivors.  Nunez praised USG 
assistance and noted that the Embassy was the only partner 
that had fully implemented its share of the LOA. 
 
GRANTEES COMMITTED BUT NEED LOGISTICAL ADVICE 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Gilbride and Emboffs met with the Institute of Dignity 
and Humanity (IDIH) Director General Manuel Perez Sanchez; 
Vielka Polanco, director of the Santo Domingo Human Rights 
Institute; Virgilio Almanzar, chairperson of the Dominican 
Human Rights Committee, a technical assistant from Hifab 
International (a Swedish consulting firm) and other IDIH 
staff to discuss implementation of the HRDF grant to create 
Police Abuse Prevention Offices.  The implementing partners 
represent an unusual mix of the PN and NGOs working together 
to acknowledge human rights problems in the police ranks*-a 
project the partners said may prove to be controversial if 
not dangerous in the long run. 
 
5. (U) IDIH, set up by the Mejia administration in 2001, 
already provides basic human rights courses to sensitize 
members of the PN; 9,000 PN personnel have received this 
training.  These courses are not mandatory, but General Perez 
Sanchez said he wants to change that culture.  He told us 
that this pilot project is critical to ultimately reducing 
extrajudicial killings and police harassment.  Almanzar is a 
respected activist who has followed human rights cases for 
more than 20 years.  As the chairperson of the Dominican 
Human Rights Committee, he is quoted frequently in local 
press concerning abuses.  Even so, he lacks the appropriate 
operational resources necessary to run his NGO efficiently. 
The HRDF grant is intended to give him the support he needs 
to further his objectives.  Also involved is Vielka Polanco, 
a lawyer who has worked at the Santo Domingo Human Rights 
Institute (IDHSD) since 1999.  Polanco has legal expertise 
and experience from working with academia on human rights 
curricula. 
 
6. (SBU) The discussion with implementing partners revealed 
unresolved logistical issues.  Gilbride raised concerns about 
victims, protection from disgruntled accused police 
officers, which the partners echoed.  General Perez Sanchez 
noted that the Law Against Domestic Violence has a provision 
for witness protection that could be applied in such 
instances.  Gilbride also questioned to what extent the 
Police Abuse Prevention Offices should be publicized, 
considering a likely increase in demand for services that the 
offices would be ill equipped to handle.  The partners agreed 
that too much publicity too soon could adversely affect the 
project.  Gilbride and Poloff agreed to provide partners a 
list of recommended next steps for their comment before money 
is disbursed. 
 
DESTACAMENTO IN BANI: THE BLAME GAME 
------------------------------------ 
 
7. (SBU) Secretary of Women Yadira Henriquez discussed with 
Poloff and McBride her concerns with the Bani anti-domestic 
violence center, locally referred to as the &destacamento8 
(&post8 or &station8).  Secretary Henriquez asserted that 
increasing domestic violence alarmed the Women's Secretariat 
and that the Bani destacamento had the Secretariat's full 
support.  When asked about the lack of agreed upon personnel 
in Bani, Henriquez responded that though the Secretariat's 
budget was minimal, a lawyer had been provided and a 
psychologist would be assigned soon.  She blamed the National 
Office for Personnel Administration (ONAP) for not approving 
personnel for Bani that the Women's Secretariat had 
recommended. (Note: ONAP is an office within the executive 
branch responsible for protecting civil servants, rights. 
End Note.) She said that it is more appropriate for the PN to 
fund most of these positions, because destacamentos 
countrywide fall under police jurisdiction.  Henriquez 
lamented, &The Women's Secretariat is not a traditionally 
respected institution like other ministries.8 
 
8. (U) In a separate meeting on October 23, Attorney General 
Victor Cespedes told Poloffs that he is also concerned with 
domestic violence problems.  As for the uninstalled Internet 
connection at the destacamento in Bani, he seemed not to 
recall offering that service.  He emphasized that Director 
Nunez needs to put all requests in writing and undertook to 
honor them.  (Note: Emboffs will raise this issue again in a 
follow-up courtesy call with the police chief, who was out of 
the country at the time of Gilbride's visit.  End Note.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6. (SBU) Promoting human rights is and will continue to be a 
key Mission objective.  The HRDF grant money is timely, given 
local press reports of an increase in extrajudicial killings 
this year.  Implementing partners appear eager to get to 
work, and the logistical details should not be difficult to 
resolve with time.  The Attorney General himself addressed 
the perceived problem of an increasingly violent Dominican 
society in a press story a few weeks ago.  The upsurge in 
domestic violence can probably be attributed in part to a 
worsening economy and high unemployment, currently estimated 
at more than 16 per cent.  Budget constraints might also 
explain why the National Police, Attorney General and 
Secretariat of Women have been unable to dedicate more 
 
SIPDIS 
resources to the anti-domestic violence centers.  It remains 
to be seen whether the lack of money is a cover for a lack of 
political will. 
HERTELL