Gillian Keller
THE Balearics has the highest domestic abuse rate in Spain.
A shocking 34 women out of every 10,000 islanders fall victim to gender-based violence, almost double the national average of 18.8.
And the figures are getting worse, with the numbers having risen by over 20% in just two years.
In total, more than 2,000 people filed complaints in the Balearics during the third quarter of 2019.
In addition, a total of 358 protection orders and security measures were granted.
Cases of domestic violence are rising nationally however, with an increasing number of officers being designated to cover the issue.
There were over 45,000 incidents of gender violence reported across Spain in the third quarter of 2019, a 3.6% increase on the number recorded in the same quarter last year.
The number of domestic abuse cases reported to police has also increased by 10% in a decade, with 10,000 more cases being recorded every quarter today than in 2009.
READ MORE:
- Man in Spain arrested after stabbing wife to death on International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women
- Expat, 61, murders his wife, 57, and tries to commit suicide in Calpe on Spain’s Costa Blanca
- Ex-soldier shoots wife dead with rifle from terrace before killing himself outside ex-wife’s home in Spain’s Andalucia
The Canary Islands has the second highest rates of gender violence with 24.7 people per 10,000 falling victim to abuse.
Valencia has the highest rate on the mainland, with 24.2 people per 10,000, while Galicia has the lowest rate of domestic abuse in Spain, with 10.7 victims per 10,000 people.
There are also low rates in Castilla y León with 11.7 per 10,000 and Extremadura with 12.1 per 10,000.
While incidents of gender violence have increased in the last decade, less women are being killed by their partners today.
In 2008, 76 women were killed as a result of domestic abuse, compared to 51 last year.
55 women have been murdered by their partner across Spain so far in 2019.
A further 46 children have been orphaned as a result of domestic abuse.
Despite the shocking figures, Security State for Security Ana Botella has said that Spain is leading the way in tackling the issue, adding that it is ‘intolerable’ to remain ‘impassive’ when confronted with its terrible impact on society.
Three quarters of domestic abuse cases that go to trial end in a conviction in Spain.
Spanish citizens make up just over two thirds of victims, while foreigners account for the remaining third.
