Sixty women were murdered in Spain last year -- beaten to death, stabbed or burnt by partners or ex-partners. The figure, however, is down from 71 murders in 2003, the year before the then Socialist government approved a groundbreaking law that the European Council has upheld as an example to follow. It not only set up a hotline that would not appear on users' phone bills, it also offered free legal aid and established special courts for victims.
The shelter where Cabero ended up is managed -- with state subsidies -- by the Federation of Associations of Separated and Divorced Women, an NGO that contributed to the law. A large house of 28 bedrooms, a dining room, nursery, library, gym and even a small theatre, it is an oasis of calm, its location kept confidential for the security of its residents.
The centre also offers classes in critical thinking run by veteran Spanish feminist and lawyer Ana Maria Perez del Campo, a method that encourages women to challenge traditional gender stereotypes that can lead them to stay in abusive relationships. Psychologist Susana Enciso says that when women first arrive, they suffer from anxiety and depression, extreme fear, low self-esteem, guilt and sometimes denial of their abuse. She adds that psychological violence can be every bit as damaging as physical abuse.
While Spain's domestic violence law has brought results, activists say there is still a long way to go. They point to a lack of specialist training for judges dealing with these cases, and budget cuts that have left small organisations like Marroqui's AIVIG without state subsidies. Spain is far from the worst off where violence against women is concerned. According to a UN report last year, 13 percent of Spanish women were physically or sexually abused by a partner or ex-partner, compared to 26 percent in France, 29 percent in Britain and 32 percent in Denmark or Latvia. One problem is that few victims dare to report their abusers.
