Alicante province records almost 2,900 gender violence complaints in three months

Courts in Alicante received 2,892 complaints regarding gender violence during the first quarter of the year, compared to the 2,431 recorded in the same period of the previous year. This represents an increase of 19 per cent, making the province one of the highest contributors to the overall rise recorded across the Valencian Community.

The number of female victims also rose in Alicante, increasing from 2,346 to 2,674 between January and March. This signifies a 14 per cent growth and positions the province as the second highest for victims in the autonomous region, behind only Valencia, which registered 2,802.

Across the autonomous region as a whole, judicial bodies received 7,080 gender violence complaints in the first quarter, which is 5.8 per cent higher than a year earlier. The total number of victims reached 6,327 women, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.7 per cent.

The rate of female victims of gender violence in Alicante reached 26 per every 10,000 women, clearly placing it above the national average of 18.1. Within the Valencian Community, the province sits just below Castellón, where the rate reaches 27, and above Valencia, which stands at 19.9.

This provincial figure places the Valencian Community in a prominent position on the national map. The region presents a rate of 23 reporting victims per 10,000 women, the fourth highest in Spain, trailing only behind the Balearic Islands, Navarre, and the Canary Islands. Alicante registered 461 more complaints than in the first quarter of the previous year and 328 additional victims. This increase occurred in a context where Valencia reduced its figures and Castellón experienced the largest percentage growth.

The report also highlights that 93.6 per cent of individuals prosecuted in the Violence Against Women courts in the province of Alicante were convicted. In Valencia, the percentage was 93.9 per cent, whilst in Castellón it reached 99.3 per cent.

At a regional level, the number of individuals prosecuted for gender violence offences decreased by 3.38 per cent, dropping from 2,274 to 2,177. Sentences issued across all judicial bodies also fell by 5.4 per cent, from 2,271 to 2,148.

Protection orders approved in the Valencian Community decreased by 2.4 per cent, down to 936. Applications also dropped slightly, from 1,205 to 1,188, whilst denied orders increased by 5.5 per cent.

Out of the 6,327 victims registered in the Valencian Community, 3,492 were Spanish and 2,835 were foreign nationals. Additionally, 921 women availed themselves of the exemption from the obligation to testify against their aggressor, an increase of 14.6 per cent compared to the previous year.