13 January 2010
In 2009, Spain recorded that 55 women were killed as a result of domestic violence, marking a significant reduction from 2008, when the domestic violence toll was 77. As indicated by Equality Minister Bibiana Aido, this is the lowest number of domestic violence victims since 2002, when 54 women were killed. The reduction is largely attributed to the measures that have been taken by the government to reduce and prevent domestic violence.
Since coming to power in 2004, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s government has launched a series of reforms to combat domestic violence. Such reforms include the establishment of special courts and treatment centers for female victims of domestic violence, and the installment of a telephone line for women who have been victims of domestic violence. In addition, a measure was passed to ensure that men who have been granted a restraining order from their partners were given electronic tags. Aido stated that Spain would continue to tighten measures against domestic violence, and that Spain would create a European observatory on domestic violence as part of its presidency of the European Union in 2010.
Compiled from: AFP, “Spain Posts Drop in Domestic Violence Victims in 2009” (12 January 2010).