Spain Witnesses a Spike in Murders of Women: PM Pedro Sanchez Decries the Situation as ‘Dreadful
Spain’s interior minister has expressed outrage over a recent increase in gender-based violence, particularly in the month of December, during which nine women have been killed, primarily by their partners.
One of the victims was a pregnant woman who was reportedly killed by her ex-partner in front of their two teenage children. If this death is determined to be caused by gender-based violence, the total number of women killed in such incidents in Spain this year will be 47, and the overall total since 2003 will be 1,180.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the “series of dreadful crimes we have suffered this month” was “deeply frustrating” and should serve as a “wake-up call”.
He asked individuals to file reports of any suspected gender-based violence occurrences and declared that police departments around the country had been told to “step up” their vigilance.
“This is not a private issue as it was understood in the past, we cannot go back to that idea, it is a social tragedy that we have to face as a society,” he told a news conference.
There are several reported cases of gender violence in Spain, including a 20-year-old woman who was killed by her mother’s former partner and a 22-year-old woman who fell from the sixth floor of a building.
The prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, stated that the country is experiencing a significant increase in instances of gender violence this month. He emphasized the need for society to work together to address this issue and put an end to it.
Spain has had various initiatives in place since 1997 to address domestic violence, including the case of Ana Orantes, a 60-year-old woman who was murdered by her ex-husband after reporting his violent behavior to authorities.
In 2004, the Spanish parliament unanimously enacted the first law in Europe to specifically criminalise gender-based violence.
With 76 deaths, 2008 was Spain’s bloodiest year for gender violence on record.
