To Jail For Insulting A Woman!
The ley bajo el expediente Nº 13.874, Penalización de la Violencia contra las Mujeres, was finally approved in first reading last night by a vote of 32 in favour to 17 against in the fifth go around of this legislation, which, like in the past, is expected to be sent to the Sala Constitucional.

The law aims to protect women against violence from their better half - spouses or live in boyfriends.

There has been a lot of controversy over the legislation. One legislator in favour, Carlos Manuel Salas, said "I prefer to see a man, even though he may be innocent, in jail where he can walk out, that visit a woman at the cemetery or to continue to see how women are assaulted and violated in this country."

Another legislator who vote no to the law, Juan José Vargas, assures that this law will be in just to the male population and will be the destruction of the Costa Rican family, as some unscrupolous women "can take advantage of the situation and get the man out of the house or put him in prison."

Opponents say that the law can easily become a tool of abuse by women with retribution in mind.

For a long time the violence against women issue has always been considered a private issue, which, not having the mechanisms in place to help battered women, became a public health issue.

The law attempts to protect the rights of the victim of domestic violence that can include, physical, psychological or sexual violation of the women of all ages, including older women who are threathened to lose their inheritance.

Physical abuse can be punished for up to 25 years in prison, while psychological abuse which can be simply calling the women names, can mean from six to two years in prison.

Sexual abuse can be punished from 12 to 18 years prison time, but can be increase if there is "violencia patrimonial", the threat to take away the woman's right to material family possessions, which can add another six months to three years.

The law also sets out a series of option that can help the aggressor avoid going to jail, like regularly signing a police book, community work for those who want to better their conduct and including weekend incarceration or "extrañamiento" - the ability for a foreigner to voluntarily leave Costa Rica.

In 2005, 40 women died as a result of domestic violence.