Is it easy to get a Personal Protection Order (PPO) against sexual violence? Does a PPO work?
No, and no. A PPO or injunction must be obtained through facilities that are subject to operating hours, which means there can be delays of several days during which a woman cannot seek adequate legislative protection. Case studies also shed doubt that non-consensual sexual penetration is generally treated as “family violence”, resulting in a grant of a PPO1. Research shows that 90.4% of women were assaulted more than once before they were granted PPOs2, and often those suffering from domestic abuse were less likely to know their options: up to 63% feared for their lives or those of their children, while 40% felt helpless, not knowing where to seek help3. It is unrealistic to expect women to predict becoming a victim of rape, or to expect people who have undergone abusive experiences to take legal steps before they deserve protection from violence. • Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, “Women’s Rights, International Norms, and Domestic Violence: Asian Perspectives,” Human Rights Quarterly: 27,
