Documentary made on Nuns' help to victims of family violence in Taiwan

(Aug. 08, 2012) In Taiwan, the congregation of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd have launched an initiative to support women and children experiencing domestic abuse. According to estimates - in Taiwan in 2008 alone, there were 75,438 cases known to the government; in 2009, the number rose to 83,730 and in 2010 to over 98,000. The nuns project helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. It gives them courage to denounce their men and also assists them psychologically to help create a new, safer life. The initiative of the Good Shepherd nuns which has now become a documentary, will be screened next month in Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second city, in the south. The documentary seeks to raise public awareness of family violence and encourage the public to be aware of their right to a safe and secure existence. The congregation has been present in Taiwan since 1987 on the invitation of the Archbishop of Taipei, as a non-governmental organization called "Good Shepherd Social Welfare Services." The NGO has set up a secret safe-house in Taiwan to protect women in difficulty, where they look after them at every stage of the process - from the police report to the subsequent legal protection of victims. Above all, the nuns offer help to children who have witnessed the father's violence against their mother, which leaves deep psychological wounds. The title of the documentary is "A quiet life".