QCOSTARICA — The 9-1-1 emergency service in Costa Rica reveals that 95% of the cases reported for domestic violence are against women.
“Although we do not have the data biased by men and women, we can confirm the high figure that particularly affects women,” said Gerardo García, spokesperson for 9-1-1.
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And, according to emergency statistics, it is a growing situation when comparing the first months of 2024 with the previous two years.
The increase in cases of violence against women is confirmed by the Observatorio de Violencia de Género (Observatory of Gender Violence Against Women) of the Judiciary highlights that in Costa Rica there are at least two femicides per month.
The Observatorio indicates as of February 14, 2024, 5 violent deaths of women had occurred, of which 1 had been classified as femicide (occurring in Parrita on February 8), while the other four were pending classification by the Interinstitutional Subcommittee for the Prevention of Femicide, because the Gender Prosecutor’s Office had not had any information derived from the investigation or the opportunity to access it, not even of a preliminary nature.
Causes
“We have noticed that there is an increase in cases of violence when they are payment weeks, usually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are when the most calls come in,” García indicated.
“Also something that was analyzed is when, for example, there are large sporting events, such as a national soccer team game or soccer finals, before and after the game the cases increased … they begin to increase during the games,” added Garcia.
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By the numbers for each province, we can see that the capital city, San José, the most populated in the country, heads the list with 34% of the reported cases, followed by Alajuela with 18%, Puntarenas, with 11%, Limon, with 9.4%, Guanacaste, with 9%, Heredia, with 9% and Cartago, with 8.9%.
The Ministry of Health highlights that domestic violence in a social sense is a health problem and an important psychosocial risk factor.
“The above is due to the magnitude of the damage, disability, and death it causes, with multiple and diversified consequences on the social, psychological and biological levels.
“In addition, it is recognized by society as a current social and health problem, not only because of the multiple and diverse effects it causes but also because it nullifies fundamental human rights,” it highlighted.
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The data from the Ministry of Health covering the period of January to August 2023, indicates that 70% of the cases were of violence against women, with the main causes of the violence being physical, psychological, sexual, negligence, and abandonment.
The Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres (Inamu) – National Women’s Institute offers women support with six regional units where women go for guidance, legal and psychological care, and training.
The Inamu also operates the 1-1-2-5 completely free hotline, operating from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm for guidance and information on women’s rights.
However, all complaints must be filed with the Judiciary, while cases of minors are directed to the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) – the National Children’s Trust.
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