Children, silent victims of gender violence

Macho violence is one of the current blunders of our society. 44 women have died at the hands of their partners or former partners so far in 2018, reaching the tragic figure 972 women victims of sexist violence since 2003, when statistics began to be collected in Spain. More than half of them never reported.

But there are also other victims, silent victims of gender violence those who too often are excluded without reason or are not given a voice: children. Children who live situations that should not live, and that sometimes, end up losing their lives at the hands of abusers. Three children have been killed this year (the figure could increase), and since 2013 the total figure is of 27 minor victims of sexist crimes.

Three dead children in 2018

Nerea and MartinaThey were two sisters of 6 and 3 years of Castellón who were stabbed two months ago by their father to take revenge on his wife after their separation. Then he also took his life

Andrei He was a 9-year-old boy who was stabbed by his father in El Ejido (Almeria) in April.

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On the other hand, the death of two brothers from Getafe (Madrid), Alejandro, 13, and Martina, 8, who his father drowned in the bathtub, and then placed them on the bed and set the room on fire, is still under investigation . If confirmed, their deaths would be added to the official figures of children victims of sexist violence.

Children, direct victims of gender violence

Organic Law 8/2015 that entered into force in 2015 considers the minors exposed to gender violence as direct victims, declaring them subjects of the protection that the law provides to their mothers. But the reality is that in practice much remains to be done.

There are children who witness scenes of violence in their homes every day. Come as dad hits mom, shakes her, yells at her, or worse, cases in which children witnessed "how dad cut mom's neck". Can you imagine the terror of a child who sees that, how can it traumatize him for the rest of his life?

Jurist María Naredo considers that "justice usually prioritizes the right of parents over that of minors, which remains an untouchable right even if children are at risk. The system must be able to prove what the damage has been. provoked that man in the woman and in the minors and, from there, decide ".

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Some scary facts:

  • According to the 2015 Violence Against Women Macro-Survey, 63.6% of women who suffer sexist violence say that their sons and daughters have witnessed some situation of abuse. Of them, in 64.2% of cases children also suffer.
  • In 2017, 8 children were killed by their mothers' partners or ex-partners, the worst data since 2013.
  • Macho violence has left 226 children in orphanage since 2013, the year since registration.
  • According to Save the Children, in 71% of cases of minor children killed by their parents there is no prior complaint.
"Only the cases that end in death or end up in the hospital come to light, but there are many children who are suffering in silence, many situations that are ballasting the lives of children between zero and 18 years." Ana Sastre, director of awareness and childhood policies of Save the Children.

Video: Domestic violence: a child's perspective. Abi Cole. TEDxDurhamUniversity (March 2024).