2010 Has Seen An
Increase In Femicide In Costa Rica
Femicide has become a major concern for
women in Costa Rica as the number of murder
of women has increased drastically in the
first few months of 2010, and domestic
violence a leading cause of murder of women.
According to the Instituto Nacional de las
Mujeres (Inamu), seven women have lost their
lives so far this year, two of which died at
the hands of their spouse.
The Inamu director, Yolanda Delgado, says
the main problem is impunity.
Some 50.000 women sought out protection ("medidas
cautelares" in Spanish) in 2010. However,
figures also indicate that only one in five
women victims of abusive relationship
actually file for protective protection,
fearing violent reprisals of their spouse or
former spouse.
Delgado is adamant that more has to be done
to control the violent tendency of those men
who lose their control and resort to murder.
There is definitely a gap between the filing
for protective protection and actually
getting protection. In the majority of the
cases, the alleged aggressor is not sent to
jail, even when evidence of past violence
exists and the woman is clearly at risk of
being a victim of further abuse and
aggression.
However, the protective protection is also
the source of abuse by vindictive women, who
file for a protective order against a spouse
or former spouse or sentimental partner in
spite, as way of punishment.
In Costa Rica, all a woman has to do is
appear before the Juzgado de Violencia
Domestica (court for domestic violence),
which automatically places a restrictive
order against the man, which is then called
to hearing to determine if the protection is
to remain in place or be lifted.
According to the Inamu director, there are
no easy answers and filing for protection is
not the only answer, there must be a
collective conscience and is making a call
on public institutions, especially the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social and local
municipalities, to play a greater part
in the role of reducing the murder of women. |
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