Re: Violence in Spain
 

While not disagreeing with your post, it must be pointed out that not all women who are maltreated lack the courage or self esteem to leave an abusive partner, in many cases it is the monetary situation that keeps them prisoner in their own home.

Take the case of Ana Orantes, who was actually legally seperated from her husband and had been for 2 years, but due to finances or lack of them was "compelled" to live in a part of the marital home, and her husband in another part.

She brought her son home from school, and the husband tied her to a chair and burned her to death.
She was not the low self esteem,torn in two because she still loved her husband type victim, she had made the break as far as their finances would allow.

She had appeared on TV two weeks before to talk about her case, more or less saying that she has been let down by the system, and citing the lack of financial and judicial help in sorting out property issues.

And let's not presume that by giving monetary help to women to be able to leave their husbands would not help as they are not strong enough emotionally to go it alone, because I know a lot of women who if they had an income assured they would be off like a shot.

Not all victims feel inferior or that they are at fault, a lot know the score, they married brutes, and they want rid, and they would live happily with their children if some cash was forthcoming. But sadly in Spain there is no cash.

Re: Violence in Spain
 

It's a very complicated situation, and I agree that some women could be helped if more financial support were available. But in general I have been agreeably surprised by the amount of activity going on at local level in Spain to raise awareness about and combat domestic violence, and the fact that the police and courts seem prepared to treat it seriously and take action. One man we know slightly who lives not far away appeared one day wearing an electronic tag, and told us his wife had denounced him (but she still comes back to visit him although she got a restraining order against him!), and a couple of months ago I called the police because a man who appeared drunk and acting suspiciously had been hanging about in the street opposite my house for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon. The police came, checked his ID and took him away. The next day a young woman who lives around the corner stopped us in the street and thanked us profusely for calling the police, explaining that the man was her ex-husband who is stalking her although there is a restraining order in force.

Sadly such actions are not always enough to keep women safe. A couple of years ago there was a tragic case in Nerja when a young woman who had left her abusive partner and obtained a restraining order against him was killed. The police had escorted her to her job as a waitress in a town centre cafe, and a few minutes after they left the ex-partner arrived and stabbed her to death in broad daylight in front of horrified customers and passers-by. I've never heard of a case in the UK where the police would provide an escort to work for an abused woman, normally a panic button in the home is the absolute most that would be provided.

It seems that the issue of violence in relationships is actually getting worse in the UK amongst very young women, with a worryingly high number of teenagers accepting violence from boyfriends as "normal" - in situations where the issue of financial dependence doesn't exist. This is very sad to see as the progress achieved over many years is being eroded, no doubt helped by the rise of the repugnant "gangsta" culture and it's attitude towards women.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...nce-definition

Re: Violence in Spain
 

I know that to the south of Alicante the authorities are taking domestic abuse seriously. There is a special emergency number and the police invariably take away the alleged offender and lock him (or her) up in the first instance to keep the couple apart.

There have been a few mistakes when a mere argument has led to a phone call and unnecessary detention, distressing to elderly foreigners with no language skills.

Re: Violence in Spain
 

"Taking things seriously" by keeping the couple apart and/or locking the culprit up is a "tempory" situation, which often makes the situation worse, as usually the abuser is also the main breadwinner, so when things go back to normal ie he is released, the family is more often than not in a worse financial situation, which in turn leads to more tension in the house, which then "encourages" more violence.

A lose lose situation.........