Almost a third of domestic violence victims are foreign women

Some 32.4% of the victims of domestic violence in the province of Tenerife are women of foreign nationality, says this report. Between January 1st, 2009 and April 28th, 2010, a total of 2,162 complaints were registered by battered women, of whom 1,460 were of Spanish nationality and 702 were foreign.

This latter number has been increasing, according to the government, which in a press release, also notes that of the 5 fatal victims there have been in the province from 2009 until now, 2 were foreign. At a national level, in 2009, 38% of fatal victims were foreign, a figure which has risen to 40.9% in the current year.

The Spanish Government delegate in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Antonio Batista Medina, on Wednesday, presented to consular representatives in Tenerife, a new protocol for intervention in cases of domestic violence for foreign women living in Tenerife. This protocol aims to "facilitate an administrative channel that will guide foreign women through the administrative procedures, assist them to obtain residence and work permits [where required], with special sensitivity."

The phenomenon of domestic violence does not respect boundaries, but has been especially prevalent against Latin American women. Of the 702 victims registered since January 1st, 2009, 354 (or just over 50%) were Latin American women.

Victims from other European countries numbered 266, 37.89% of the total.

(Via 20minutos.es)