Sanchez Condemns Rise in Domestic Violence in Spain

THE SPANISH prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has condemned the rise in domestic violence in Spain, in which this week alone has seen five women killed by their partner or ex-partner, calling the situation “a harsh and unbearable reality”.

One of the five victims includes a 42-year-old Barcelona woman who was stabbed to death by her husband who then ended up taking his own life, while a pregnant Moroccan woman was killed by her partner who confessed to the police. The number of women who have been killed by their partner or former partner stands at 14 so far for the year. This brings the total to 1,092 women who have been killed as a result of domestic violence since the Spanish government started to keep track in 2003.

“Spain suffers a chauvinist scourge that causes men to kill women for being women and their children for being their mothers. We cannot look the other way, we must not feel oblivious to the pain felt by thousands of women,” commented the President of the Government. Sánchez expressed solidarity with victims and urged to continue the battle against gender-based violence, “A scourge that affects us. We must be with the victims, with this pain and suffering that moves us so much and that leads us to be more forceful in the fight against sexist violence”.

As reported by The Guardian, campaigners against gender-based violence in Spain maintain that the rise in killings to the easing of coronavirus measures since May 9 when the state of alarm was lifted.