Another Woman Falls Victim to Domestic Violence; Third This Year
While the law combating domestic violence, more to the point, protecting women from abusive men is being analyzed by the Constitutional Court, another woman became another victim over the weekend.

Forty One year old Brunilda Cubero Espinoza was murdered by her husband in what police say was motivated by jealousy.

The victim, a Costa Rican national, was stabbed to death by her former companion of more than 25 years after the couple recently separated and the woman took out a restraining order against him.

The murder occurred in the area known as the Colonia de San José de Upala.

A 43 year old Nicaraguan man, identified only by his last names, García García, is the prime suspect, who had with Cubero eight children aged from 12 to 26.

Differences in the marriage caused the couple to split up and the woman took refuge in her sister's house. The family said that García was upset at the restraining order that would have kept him away from his wife of many years.

Authorities say that García chose a secluded path where Cubero would get off the bus for the short walk to her sister's home, when he chose to confront the woman and stab her several times. García ran but was found some two kilometres from where the couple had lived for many years. Members of the Fuerza Pública (police) were able to apprehend the man after a failed getaway attempt.

Cubero is third victim of domestic violence this year. On March 5, in Limon, 46 year old Irene Suárez Suárez was stabbed by her better half, dying in hospital shortly after the attack. On January 16, 22 year old Rebeca Hudgson was shot six times by her partner, who then took his own life after.

The law against domestic violence received approval on first reading by a vote of 32 to 17  in the legislature last week, for the fifth time. And as it has all the other time before, it has been appealed to the Constitutional Court, which, on each occurrence, sent it back to the drawing board.

Critics of the law say it goes too far, giving women too much room for abuse. Radio and television polls showed many women for the law as against it. The primary concern is that a woman can use the abuse angle of a way to get rid of her man.

Supporters of the law argue the need for protecting women and this weekend's murder is just another argument in their favour.