WE all have a mental image of domestic violence, but the Spanish government urges us to broaden our understanding.
Physical abuse is, sadly, familiar to everyone – but what about emotional violence? Many women are told by their partners that they are worthless, ugly or stupid.
Then there is sexual violence. While most people condemn situations where women are forced into prostitution, there are also uncomfortable grey areas within otherwise ‘normal’ relationships. Is a man entitled to demand sex – and how often?
The government now also compiles data on so-called economic violence, where the man – often the main earner – uses financial control to dominate his partner. This can include threats involving children, a particularly painful pressure point for many mothers.
There is also symbolic violence: the double standard by which a man with multiple partners is admired, while a woman in the same position is dismissed as “loose” or “easy”.
And institutional violence refers to workplace cultures where women are expected to take on menial tasks such as cleaning or organising food.
So is violence against women increasing, decreasing or staying the same? At first glance, the figures look grim. In 2015, around 17,000 women in Spain filed official complaints – denuncias – against their partners for violencia de género and pursued them to court.
Last year the number rose to 24,000. (For readers unfamiliar with the system, a criminal investigation in Spain starts only when a denuncia is filed.) But this rise may reflect something positive: better awareness of rights, and greater confidence in coming forward.
The most distressing statistic – the number of women killed – also needs to be confronted. Spanish TV networks now routinely add, “she is the 25th woman to die so far this year,” placing each case in context. November is the key month for tallying the annual figures, as December tends to be relatively quiet. In 2007, the total number of women killed was 70. This year, at 36 so far, the figure is almost half that. But is this a blip, or the start of a long-term decline?
A striking detail: of the 36 women killed so far in 2025, 28 had never previously denounced their partners. Is this because some women fear provoking violent men by going to the police? Or because some apparently “normal” husbands suddenly erupt into one catastrophic act of violence?
Another interesting pattern is seasonal. Spain’s lowest levels of domestic violence are typically recorded in January and February, while June tends to be the “danger month”. One theory is that school holidays begin in June, triggering custody disputes among separated parents.
Spain launched the “061” emergency hotline in 2007 for women experiencing – or fearing – violence. The quietest month on record was November 2012, with 3,800 calls. The highest was August 2016, reaching 9,900. Again, a higher number may reflect greater awareness and willingness to seek help.
Benjamin Disraeli famously quipped that there are “lies, damn lies, and statistics”. But Spain’s data debunk one persistent myth: that large numbers of women file false accusations out of spite or hysteria.
Women who make false allegations can be prosecuted – yet the numbers are minuscule. Spain registers roughly 150,000 denuncias a year. In 2016, just 17 women were convicted of false accusations – about one in 9,000 cases. In 2020, not a single conviction for false denunciation was recorded.
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