Dili, November 24, 2025 (Média Democracia) — Cases of domestic violence are rising in Baucau Municipality, as men continue to use their power to control women.
According to the General Physician of Baucau Referral Hospital (Horex Baucau), Mario Sarmento, in the past there were no safe houses or shelters, most assistance for victims of gender-based violence or domestic violence was provided by the NGO PRADET.
“In the past, there were no safe houses in Baucau. PRADET worked hard to provide assistance to survivors of gender-based violence. But now, with support from the Ministry of Health, a safe house has been established, and the Baucau Referral Hospital is also providing assistance to survivors who come in due to violence,” said General Physician Mario Sarmento at INSPTL Comoro.
He further explained that thanks to the Ministry of Health’s efforts in establishing the safe house, more members of the community are now coming forward to report or complain about incidents they have experienced in their lives.
“From January to November, we have already recorded nearly 20 to 30 cases of gender-based violence, mostly physical violence, domestic violence, violence against children, and sexual violence,” the doctor reported.
He also clarified that services related to gender-based violence are not only handled by the health sector but also involve the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) and VPU, the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), especially the Child Protection officials, PRADET, and other institutions that monitor these cases, particularly gender-based violence in Timor-Leste.
For this reason, a referral network has been established so that when the health sector attends to victims, support is always coordinated within the referral network to help survivors of violence.
The type of violence most frequently reported in Baucau Municipality is domestic violence, as most cases referred by the police and VPU involve domestic incidents, often caused by abuse of power.
Reporter: Tomas
Photo: Tomas