Like Chahinez, a French woman who was burnt alive by her estranged husband, or the five women killed in three weeks in spring in Sweden, whose images haunt TV bulletins there. "With women gaining more freedom, the aggressors feel as if they're losing control and react with more extreme violence," explained Victoria Rosell, head of the Spanish government's taskforce against gender violence. In 2004, Spain approved Europe's first law that specifically cracked down on domestic violence, making the victim's gender an aggravating factor in cases of assault. PHOTO BY LUISA GOULIAMAKI / X07402 / AFPDifficulty calling for helpThroughout Europe, the lockdowns have made it harder to pick up on cases of domestic violence. In Spain, women could alert the authorities by going into a chemist, one of the few shops open during the lockdown, and requesting "a purple mask."

Source: Manila Times June 28, 2021 03:45 UTC