Seven people died due to gender violence in one week. Five women and two children were murdered by men close to them. Gender violence is still a big problem in Spain.
The most recent victim is a 35-year-old woman from Zaragoza. The perpetrator is most likely her ex-partner (31) who already had a restraining order. At the beginning of last week, a woman in Asturias was murdered by her ex-husband. Later, a woman, who was a few months pregnant, was killed together with her son in Mallorca. Two women were also murdered in Catalonia last week.
Shocking figures for violence against women in Spain
Spanish news site Radiocable.com wrote on Monday a total of 14 women have died from gender violence this year. Since the statistics were compiled in 2003, the total number of women and children murdered stands at 1,092. Most died at the hands of a partner or ex-partner, father or new relationship of the mother.
The Spanish news site El Huffington Post discussed the fifth annual report on violence against women in Spain. Since 2013, 309 children have been orphaned after their mothers were killed by a man, many of them close to home.
Spain needs to modernise protection measures
At the end of this fierce week, Equality Minister Montero announced on Twitter she is promulgating a national convention against gender violence. “We are reactivating the political, social and institutional commitment to violence against women. We are launching a modernisation plan to provide better and faster help to reach these women.”
Minister Irene Montero has been fighting against gender violence for some time and presented shocking figures on violence against women in September 2020.
Spain does not provide sufficient protection
Not only Minister Montero has spoken out against gender violence in recent days. Other politicians such as Victoria Rosell, Government Deputy for Gender Violence, supported her. She stated to various Spanish media that the protection protocols in Spain must be improved as they are often very outdated and in practice prove ineffective.
