Analysis of psychosocial barriers that hinder the complaint: the case of intimate femicides in Spain

Abstract

Analysis of psychosocial barriers that hinder the complaint: the case of intimate femicides in Spain
Evidence shows that, in Spain, only a quarter of women victim of intimate femicide had previously reported the violence suffered (25,8% from 2005). The aim of this research is to help identify and understand the barriers and difficulties in reporting faced by these women. For this, a qualitative study was conducted, interviewing 34 professionals and 5 significant others related to 23 cases that occurred between 2004 and 2014 in the Balearic Islands. The results show that the main reasons for not reporting the violence were the lack of perception of risk, and the limitations of community and legal resources. This study also shows the consequences of these femicides for the social environment of the victims.