The researchers already pointed to it last week and, after all, they have confirmed it. The 80-year-old woman who appeared dead "with signs of violence" next to her husband on December 1 in Sigüeiro, in the Coruña City Hall of Oroso, was allegedly murdered by her 88-year-old husband, who then he killed himself. With the confirmation of this case, the number of women killed by gender violence in Spain rises to 55 since the beginning of the year and to 1,237 since 2003, when data began to be collected. This is the worst figure for murders of women by their partners or ex-partners since 2011, only equaled by the figure for 2019, although with nuances: on December 1, 2019 there were 54, but in 2020 confirmed as gender violence a case under investigation. As of 2023, two cases are still under investigation.
The Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo García, and the delegate of the Spanish Government against Gender Violence, Victoria Rosell, have once again expressed the most absolute condemnation and rejection following this new sexist murder and convey all the support to the relatives and the victim's friendships. Both the minister and the delegate ask for every effort from institutions, administrations and society as a whole to arrive on time and avoid more murders.
The reality is that the situation is bleak. Since the beginning of the year, a woman has been murdered every six days, leaving 56 children orphaned. Two children have been killed (vicarious violence), and a minor under the age of 13 is in a coma after falling into the void when he saw his mother being killed in Sagunto (Camp de Morvedre). The officers are investigating whether the teenager rushed into the void by accident or whether the assailant pushed him into it. Another woman, in Tenerife, is in a coma after her ex-partner set fire to the home with two children inside.
Most of the fatalities were in couples, but 23 were in the process of separating, revealing that one of the most dangerous moments is when the woman decides to end the relationship. The authorities recommend reporting if there is or has been gender violence in order to facilitate the protection of women. 74.5% of fatalities had not been reported.
Almost 30% lost their lives in Andalusia, Catalonia, Madrid and Valencia. Almost 60% were between 30 and 50 years old and 58% were Spanish. The proportion of foreign women is very high in relation to the percentage of residents: experts think that this needs to be analyzed in detail to direct awareness and protection efforts.
As for the aggressor, 14 committed suicide and six tried but failed. 45.5% were foreigners.
Part of this data, as well as the possibility of improving the VioGèn system, which gives protection to the victim who has reported, will be analyzed at the meeting held by Minister Redondo with the head of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Thursday.
In addition, the new Minister of Equality has called "a crisis cabinet, which meets when there are more than five victims in the same month", which already happened in November, and which is expected to be the week which comes with representatives from the Community of Madrid and the Community of Valencia (the most affected in November) to analyze these latest sexist murders.
"We will also convene the interministerial Equality commission, a commission provided for in the Equality law, but which has not met since 2018 and it is very important that it meets now, because it will improve coordination between all the ministries. Together we can redouble our efforts to put an end to this unbearable scourge that is gender violence", said Redondo.
