Spain Has A Problem With Domestic Violence. And It’s Time It Got Serious About It

We all love Spain for a multitude of reasons. This is a truly enigmatic country that’s checkered with amazing natural beauty. With dozens and dozens of serene chappels, forts, castles, churches, and a fantastic array of architectural wonderments, there’s always something in Spain for everyone.

For the lover of beaches and the scorching nightlife, there’s Ibiza. For the one drawn to history and religion, there’s the Sudarium of Oviedo that houses the blood-soaked cloth worn by Jesus.

Then there’s no dearth of museums and titillating urban chaos in up-market groovy cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, and above anything else, there’s this quintessential easy-going vibe that one finds in Mallorca and in all of Andalusia. Spain’s political chaos notwithstanding, there’s never any dearth of excitement in multiferous elements that govern the social and cultural strata of life.

The bull-fighting is about as exciting and thrilling as the jaw-dropping beaches and the culinary amazement that drips off every corner of a posh Spanish bar where simple pleasures of life like sipping one glass too many of Tinto de verano.

Yet, this great land of legends like Sergio Ramos and Fernando Alonso has in its lair a disappointing, heartbreaking reality. Everything’s not sublime like the mesmerizing Penelope Cruz.

Perhaps it suffices to say that domestic violence in Spain is a bit of an eye-soar to an otherwise merry country. And the truth about domestic violence in Spain is a bit of a letdown for those who are easily moved by he endlessly fascinating charm from the outside, without caring to read between the lines.

Wondering what on earth has gone wrong? Then, take a look here. In the recent times, local Spanish media happens to have reported a rather somber fact.

The recent death of a Brazilian mother (of five) actually marked the 1000th case of gender violence recorded in Spain. Now if that’s not a shattering fact, then one wonders what is?

Local Spanish media- and a noted one at that, El Pais- shared the following on an issue that has engulfed the entire country over the course of the past few days:

Da Silva was allegedly killed by Ramírez, 45, who already had a murder conviction for killing another partner. In 2002, he confessed to murdering his then-wife, Amanda del Carmen Cabeza, in Algeciras (Cádiz), when he was 27 and she was 22. They were the parents of three small children and were separating. According to reports of the crime, the wife was regularly abused. Her body was found in the bathtub with signs of strangulation. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison and set to be released in 2020.

In the light of the above, it’s important to note how there was a time where tackling the sensitive issue of domestic violence in Spain was one of the prime agendas for the ruling government. For instance, back in 2005, tackling this very issue became the central standpoint for the then-socialist government. Exactly a year back, in 2004, what jolted Spain was a terrifying statistic. As many as 67 women were murdered by either boyfriends or husbands. The situation, over a decade and a half ago was so bad that the legislation had promised to carry out harsher penalties for committers of such nasty crimes.

The above told, the current situation back in Spain offers no respite for the female gender. Here’s how:

Only a week ago did Euronews publish a comprehensively-researched analysis of the great nadir of Spain wherein it published the names of as many as 999 women who had been subjected to domestic violence.

The article elaborated on a key issue which you can read hereon:

A total of 999 women in Spain have lost their lives at the hands of their partners or ex-partners since the country’s government began to officially count these deaths in 2003, a figure that exceeds 1,000 if gender violence is included in two cases that are being investigated at present.

Perhaps it’s about time that Spain put a tight noose around the perpetrators who’ve constantly toyed around with the image of a country otherwise widely respected for its rich culture and heritage. Perhaps the nation that sports the passionate red and the bright gold (in the national flag) that stands for light may want to light itself from within at the soonest!