Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

222 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
confidentiality could prevent further violent abuses. The
Istanbul Convention sets out its position on this as follows:
“Parties shall take the necessary measures to ensure
that the confidentiality rules imposed by internal law on
certain professionals do not constitute an obstacle to the
possibility, under appropriate conditions, of their
reporting to the competent organisations or authorities
if they have reasonable grounds to believe that a
serious act of violence covered by the scope of this
Convention, has been committed and further serious
acts of violence are to be expected”. 591
The role of experts, including social workers and
psychologists, in advising criminal justice processes
about the realities of gender-based violence
While medico-legal reporting tends to focus on physical and
psychological injuries to individual victims, guidance from other
professionals, for example, social workers, can help those
working in justice systems to understand better how genderbased
violence is perpetrated and how such violence affects
women. The CEDAW Committee has recommended that “other
professionals, in particular health professionals and social
workers… can play an important role in cases of violence
against women and in family matters, in awareness-raising and
capacity-building”. 592
Duties of prosecutors: prosecution of crimes of violence
against women
For women to maintain confidence and their active participation
in the justice system, particularly in cases involving prosecution
of violence against them, it is important that “responsibility for
prosecuting violence against women lies with prosecution
591
Istanbul Convention, above note 509, Article 28.
592
CEDAW General Recommendation No 33, above note 569,
paragraph 29(b).