What to do if you’re afraid or in danger in your own home from domestic violence

[Janet]

There has been yet another death from domestic violence in Tenerife in the last couple of days. If anyone is in a situation where they are fearful in their own home, please be aware that the authorities here have a raft of measures and organizations to help.

One thing to note is that the law defines domestic violence as any act of physical or psychological violence, including attacks against sexual freedom, threats, humiliation, coercion, sexual abuse, or deprivation of liberty. It doesn't have to be physical violence.

Women are guaranteed help regardless of their nationality, religion, or any other factor. If you are in this situation, you have a whole range of rights, including restraint orders, immediate legal aid and representation, refuges, even working hour rearrangement or reduction.

If you are afraid or in present danger, call 091, 016 or 112 (in an emergency, always call 112). And read THIS page for much fuller information about what you can do to help yourself. Above all remember that women in this situation are not alone. Don't suffer when help is at hand.

[Geordie Maggot]

Janet, although statistics might show that women are more at risk of domestic violence than men, there are men out there that have been and still might be in this awful situation.  In my opinion there is still somewhat of a stigma that men couldn't possibly be abused by a women so I just wanted to highlight the fact that is an issue for men as well as women.

[Janet]

absolutely, and indeed Spain calls it "violencia de género" to try to make that very point. Here, it's violence or abuse of one sex by the other in a relationship (and by extension, any partner, in a same-sex relationship).

The sad fact is, though, that even if we allow that the statistics might not be telling the whole story because men don't report abuse by women, the death rates of violencia de género just cannot be manipulated or distorted  ... and those statistics show that 100% of the fatalities are women, at least here in the Canaries.