|
Domestic Violence on the
Increase
Lately Costa Rica has been
experiencing a wave of domestic
violence unseen before in the
country.
According to Luis Paulino Mora,
president of the Corte Suprema
de Justicia (Supreme Court), the
number of domestic violence
cases has increased by 213% in
the last eight years.
The increased violence is also
believed to be the number one
cause of the disintegration of
the family unit in the country.
Mora emphasized that there has
been an increase in all levels
of family dispute matters. Child
support cases over the same
period have gone up 63.4% and
juvenile delinquency cases up
58.6%. Criminal cases involving
family disputes - disputes
between couples and their
children - have gone up 42.7%.
"I am was moved by the
numbers... it is time to find a
solution", said Mora.
This year at least 14 people
have died as a result of
domestic violence. The latest
deaths occurring this week,
perhaps the bloodiest week,
where in Aserrí (south of San
José) a father shot his two year
old son before committing
suicide and in Liberia (Guanacaste)
the family is yesterday buried two
of their daughters, when a
distraught boyfriend decided to
end the life of his companion
and her sister.
In 2004, 21 women died resulting
from domestic violence and
26.755 intervention orders were
registered, while in 2003, 29
women were victims of domestic
violence.
Authorities say that country now
reaches an unprecedented level
of domestic violence, estimating
that 58% of the women in the
country are victims of some type
of domestic violence - physical
or psychological. A large part
of the violence is committed by
the spouse or former spouse.
Statistics indicate that only
10% of domestic violence victims
charge their aggressors and less
than 1% result in conviction.
Authorities are quick to add
that not only women in poor
economic conditions suffer from
domestic violence.
Fear of reprisals and fear of
the judicial system are the main
cause why women don't make
formal complaints against their
aggressors. And since many
victims of domestic violence
count on the financial support
of their aggressor, it limits
their ability to seek out help.
|
|
