Sexist violence in the Balearics highest in Spain in 2020

The Balearic Islands had the highest rate of gender violence in Spain in 2020, according to data from the General Council.

93.8 out of every 10,000 women living in the Balearic Islands were victims of violence by their partners or ex-partners last year, followed by the Valencian Community with 81.5; the Canary Islands with 80.5; Murcia with 79.5; Andalusia with 67.9. The national average was 60.2.

The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown led to 4,581 new cases of violence against women, which is a fall of 10% year-on-year.

772 men were tried in connection with violence against women, which is 20% less than in 2019 and the vast majority were convicted.

“This does not amount to a real decrease in the number of cases of sexist violence, it just highlights the added difficulties that victims had in reporting their aggressors, ”Said CGPJ Observatory on Gender Violence delegate, Ángeles Carmona.

There’s also been an enormous increase in the number of women testifying against their partners or ex-partners in court and foreign women are much more likely to testify than Spanish women.

There were 3,493 complaints of gender violence in Mallorca and 735 in Ibiza which has its own Gender Violence Court.

Sentences

Last year 2,398 cases were provisionally dismissed through lack of evidence and 722 people were convicted.