The “Specialized Courts for Violence Against Women” are special courts that act in cases of domestic and family violence committed against women. Created in the United States in the 1990s, these courts have become mandatory in recent years in several Latin American and Caribbean countries as a result of the advancement of legislation aimed at preventing violence against women.
The main objective of these courts is to ensure greater efficiency in the processing of proceedings and a more consistent decision-making process. Through their work, they seek to ensure a better follow-up and monitoring of cases, as well as to guarantee comprehensive support and assistance to victims of domestic violence through access to services provided by the justice system and the social assistance area, in addition to seeking to effectively hold those who commit crimes accountable and deter the risk of recidivism.