SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 14th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
Reports of gender violence recorded in the judicial system of the Canary Islands during the initial quarter of 2024 rose by 2.4% compared to the same period in 2023, in contrast to the national trend which saw a decrease in cases last winter – the first reduction since the pandemic began.
In the previous year’s winter, the courts in the islands reported 2,507 cases of sexist violence, whereas this year the number reached 2,566 (an increase of 59 cases), as per the data released on Friday by the Observatory against Domestic and Gender Violence of the General Council of the Judiciary.
The report from the judicial authorities revealed that the number of women victims of gender violence also surged in the Canary Islands between January and March of this year compared to the same period in 2022, rising from 2,507 to 2,511 (a rise of four victims), representing a 0.2% increase.
Official statistics show that during the first quarter of this year, the Canary Islands had a rate of 22.1 female victims of gender violence per 10,000 women, ranking as the fifth highest in the country after Navarra (30.1), the Balearic Islands (27.3), Murcia (24), and the Valencian Community (22.3).
The national average stood at 17.5 women victims of sexist violence per 10,000 women, which marks a difference of 4.6 points lower than the ratio in the Canary Islands.
The Observatory’s report provides further insights, revealing that out of the 2,511 women victims of violence in the Canary Islands during the study period, 1,880 were Spanish nationals (including seven minors) and 631 were foreigners.
Additionally, 342 of the victims opted for exemption from testifying against their alleged aggressor during the process, marking a 4.3% increase compared to the previous year’s first quarter when 328 women did not confirm their complaints.
Throughout last winter, the judicial bodies in the Canary Islands handling gender violence cases delivered 681 convictions (a 3.3% decrease from the first quarter of 2023), 35 acquittals (a 5.4% decline from the previous year), 166 orders of free dismissal (increased by 34.5%), and 848 orders of provisional dismissal of the proceedings (a decrease of 10.7%).
95.1% OF CONVICTED VERDICTS
The conviction rate stood at 95.1% (a 0.1% increase), while the termination rate due to provisional dismissal was 84.1% (a decrease of 5.3% compared to the previous year).
As for the individuals prosecuted, in the last winter, there were 716 facing trial in the Canary Islands for gender-related crimes (a 5.7% decrease from the first quarter of 2023), with 95.1% ending in convictions (a 0.1% rise from 2023), out of which, 493 were Spanish citizens and 188 were foreigners.
Concerning protection orders, the courts in the Canary Islands received 451 requests during the mentioned winter, marking a 13.3% increase from 2023.
Among these requests, 11 were not admitted, 340 were granted (10.4% more than in 2023), and 100 were denied (an increase of 11.1%).
For the fourth consecutive year, the Observatory’s report includes detailed data by island.
In this period, between January and March 2024, there were 154 reports of crimes related to violence against women in Fuerteventura; in Gran Canaria 1,326; in Lanzarote 123; in El Hierro 7; in La Gomera 15; in La Palma 60, and in Tenerife 1,145.
In the majority of cases, reports were made for crimes of injuries and mistreatment.
NATIONAL TRENDS
In terms of national trends, the number of reports and victims of gender violence in the first quarter of the year across Spain has declined compared to the same period in 2023, marking the first decrease since the onset of the COVID-19 health crisis.
The courts specialized in violence against women registered 45,899 reports filed by 43,580 victims, figures that are 1.17% and 3.28% lower compared to the previous year, respectively.
Specifically, despite there being a daily average of 479 female victims and 504 reports in the first 91 days of the year, there has been a slight decrease in numbers.
Of the total victims, 65.16% had Spanish nationality, and the count of minor victims under guardianship rose to 122.
Moreover, there has been a decrease of 16.44% in female victims who were exempted from giving a statement, and the statistics for protection orders show little change compared to the first quarter of 2023 with just a 1.8% decrease.
In terms of verdicts, the judicial bodies issued a total of 15,479, with 79.94% ending in convictions.
The approved protection orders totalled 8,038, a decrease of 1.8% from the previous year, meaning that in the quarter under review, an average of seven out of ten (68.21%) requested protection orders were granted.
The courts handling violence against women cases approved 6,597, accounting for 66.5% of the requests they received, while the duty courts approved 1,441, representing 76.8% of the requests submitted.
