Santo Domingo.– In the Dominican Republic, the figures of violence against women continue to be alarming, although in recent years there has been progress in reducing femicides.
According to statistics from the Attorney General’s Office, 99 femicides were reported in 2020, while in 2023 the figure decreased to 69.
This reduction, close to 30 percent, shows progress, but also highlights that the challenge persists: each death is a tragedy and a reminder of the urgency of redoubling efforts to eradicate this scourge.
The trend to reduce the number of women murdered because of their status as women continues its downward trend so far in 2024, when 55 cases have been reported.
In this matter, using the term “barely” to show reduction is not appropriate, because every case counts and every death is a tragedy.
The head of the National Directorate against Gender Violence, Ana Andrea Villa Camacho, highlighted that 90% of the murdered women had not filed prior complaints against their attackers.
This data highlights the need to strengthen awareness campaigns so that women report acts of violence early, since the majority of cases of aggression, if not attended to, escalate to fatal outcomes.
“These are not encouraging figures for the Dominican Republic, because a single woman who dies, a single woman who dies, due to the fact of being a woman, must lead us to a social emergency,” said the official, after pointing out that the knife is the most used to kill women.
Until October of this year, the Public Ministry has received 59,632 complaints of violence against women. Among the most reported forms are domestic violence, in its psychological, verbal and physical manifestations; in addition to an increase in cases of sexual violence, workplace harassment, vicarious violence and cyber violence.
The latter reflect the “evolution” of violence towards more perverse and harmful forms.
Villa Camacho explained that vicarious violence, which seeks to inflict the greatest emotional pain on a woman by attacking
loved ones, is on the rise, as is financial violence, including scams and restrictions
economic.
These modalities show how sexist violence not only takes lives, but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality, leaving families mired in pain and uncertainty.
In response, the Public Ministry issued 28,338 protection orders in 2023, in addition to working on projects
with a gender perspective that seek to improve care for victims and strengthen the judicial prosecution of aggressors.
However, the authorities emphasize that the most effective way to prevent tragedies is through reporting.
timely.
Deputy Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso regretted that many women do not report out of fear, which limits the intervention of the authorities. “The only thing that cannot be returned is life,” he recalled during a recent talk.
Although state policies and support programs have shown results, cultural challenges remain.
a barrier. Education is necessary to dismantle the normalization of violence in homes and communities.
The court attorney, Villa Camacho, stated that “they have received many cases of sexual violence in intimate partners, rapes and sexual assaults against minors.”
He insisted on the increase in this type of violence, as well as financial violence and another that is derived from modernity: cyber violence. Cyber violence against women, such as persecution and harassment through digital media, extortion, scams and harassment.
Another crime against women that is on the rise is workplace harassment. Violence against women
It is a cultural problem and criminal phenomenon that must be repudiated and hated by society. The judge indicated
that some families have normalized violence. Through the Gender Violence Unit,
28,338 protection orders in favor of the victims.
“Women are subject to rights, not just on November 25 or March 8.
The work of the cause of violence against women is an everyday job,” said Villa Camacho after emphasizing that education is essential to change this culture of abuse, like “the thousand faces that violence has.”
Due to this criminal scourge that affects not only Dominican society but the world, which steals life, hope and immerses the family in pain and increases poverty because they leave their children orphaned and without economic support.
“We need to be truly free, for our human rights to be respected and translated into opportunities, into opportunities such as laws that support us, that call violence by its name, exemplary sanctions for aggressors, that let us live and be today,” she added. .
Cases
November 17
Erick Manuel Jiménez Núñez took the life of Raidiri Sánchez Almánzar with a shot to the head, in SDO.
November 16
Johanna Castillo’s partner murdered her using a toxic substance and then committed suicide, which occurred in La Vega.
October 31
Yoscar de León, murdered his partner Charleni Villar by asphyxiating her through smoke inhalation after locking her in her room, in Los Alcarrizos, SDO.
