In the El Valle parish, a family home was for years the scene of shouting and aggression involving three people; the affected woman, an elderly woman of 85 years, denounced her 62-year-old daughter and her 43-year-old grandson because she was tired of the physical and verbal abuse she suffered under her own roof.
Armando Figueroa, an official of the Bolivarian National Police Force and coordinator of the Community Policing Service Office of the aforementioned parish, told Últimas Noticias The case reached the conflict resolution court through the victim's own account. The elderly woman went to the authorities to report her own daughter, who was protecting her grandson. This man always arrived home drunk or under the influence of illicit substances, and he also started fights and assaulted them. "It was a case that deeply concerned us from the very beginning because there were two elderly women in a situation of extreme vulnerability," the official explained.
The victim stated that her daughter had tried to physically harm her on several occasions by pushing her. She asserted that the conflict between them stemmed from her grandson's misbehavior, which was exacerbated by his addiction and alcoholism.
In response to this situation, Figueroa summoned those involved to a meeting to inform them of the laws and regulations they were violating by subjecting an elderly woman to physical and verbal violence. He also invited officials from the National Institute of Social Services (INAS) to participate in the proceedings.
Mediation. The three individuals met with Officer Figueroa in the conflict resolution room. Before beginning the conversation, he outlined the points to be addressed. He emphasized that the primary objective was to ensure non-violence in the home where two elderly women lived.
She stated that through conversations with the complainant's grandson, she came to understand the complexity of the environment, where alcoholism, drug use, and violence were commonplace. She noted that, after investigating the family's history, "we understood that this was an illness and a dysfunction that had been developing for years; we couldn't simply label it," she said. Therefore, the intervention of the National Institute for Social Assistance (INAS) was crucial, as the institution's social worker provided the necessary technical assistance to treat both women.
During the hearing, details fueling the conflict came to light. The woman revealed that her grandson was stealing household items and the little money she had saved to cover his expenses. These actions created a tense atmosphere because while the woman demanded her grandson leave the house, her daughter refused. This situation enraged the complainant, and in response, she suffered abuse.
“There was initial resistance, especially from the man’s mother, to accepting the magnitude of her son’s problem,” Figueroa commented. However, the mediation focused on making those involved understand that the grandmother’s physical safety was non-negotiable.
The police presence and the support of the National Institute of Social Assistance (INAS) allowed the family members to talk for the first time without resorting to violence. The son acknowledged his addiction, and the mother admitted that her behavior toward the grandmother violated national laws.
Commitments. The outcome of this mediation process was, in the words of official Figueroa, “highly satisfactory.” It culminated in a series of legal agreements formalized in a conciliation agreement.
The most significant commitment was the defendant's voluntary acceptance of entering a rehabilitation center. Thanks to the efforts of the Community Police and the National Institute of Social Assistance (INAS), a place was secured for him at a specialized center located in La Guaira state, where he was transferred to begin his recovery process.
On the other hand, the daughter pledged to refrain from any physical or verbal aggression against her mother and agreed to undergo psychological therapy through the National Institute of Social Assistance (INAS) to address the root of her violent behavior and learn tools for care and respect. Meanwhile, the local police, as part of their responsibilities, assumed responsibility for monitoring the case to prevent any further incidents.
Regulations. According to Figueroa, the goals were achieved thanks to compliance with a series of regulations governing violence against vulnerable people.
Article 14 of the Ordinance on Citizen Coexistence, Civics and Community Peace Justice of the Libertador Municipality in Caracas establishes that one of the duties of social solidarity that every citizen has is to collaborate in the execution of public policies aimed at inclusion, respect for human dignity and social protection of vulnerable groups, especially in relation to girls, boys or adolescents, women, adults and older adults, people with disabilities and people in a homeless situation.
Ordinance
Support. The Ordinance on Citizen Coexistence, Civic Responsibility and Community Peace Justice of the Libertador Municipality in Caracas establishes social duties such as providing support to girls, boys, adolescents, adults and senior citizens or people with disabilities for their safe mobility, in situations of difficulty, danger or risk.
Reporting. Article 14 includes how to report to the authorities any type of violence involving physical, psychological or verbal abuse against any person, without discrimination, among other acts that threaten respect, integrity, civic responsibility and peace in the community.
Citizen security. Article 11 of the regulations defines it as the integrated action developed by the State in co-responsibility with the citizens, to ensure and protect coexistence, risk mitigation, crime prevention, peaceful development, public, civil and democratic order through the eradication of violence.
Responsibilities. The coexistence office must coordinate with institutions regarding the protection of people at risk of having their lives threatened by violence in any of its forms.
