13/10/2004 00:00
TW
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by Staff Reporter
RAMON Socias, the government representative, claimed yesterday that domestic violence was the “chief blot on society,” and said that it should be “combatted with all means available.” He said that there was still much work to be done in combatting domestic violence, and he called on the Guardia Civil, National and Local Police forces and all other institutions which work in this field to join together to fight it.

He expressed a hope that the new law against domestic violence would help reduce the number of cases, which are difficult detect.
He said that they are usually only discovered after violent episodes.
In Majorca, there have been special police training courses in the handling of domestic violence cases, and the social welfare departments have also been provided with greater means for helping victims.

Socias was speaking after the Virgen del Pilar celebrations at Guardia Civil headquarters.

FAMILY DOCTOR
The number of cases of domestic violence is rising, as more and more women denounce them there are regularly four or five arrests a day in Majorca.
However, a recent report shows that fewer than ten percent of women victims report the violence to their family doctor.
And, says the report, the doctors generally only dectect the violence in fewer than 25 percent of the cases.
A seminar which will be held in Granada next week will examine the role of the family doctor in detecting and preventing cases of domestic violence in health centres.

According to psychiatrist Javier Garcia Campayo, who will direct the seminar, violence in the home represents serious risks for the health of the victim and the children, which can degenerate in chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure or chronic strees.

He pointed out that so far this year, there have been 30'000 complaints filed for domestic violence and nearly 70 women have been killed.

PRIVATE SECURITY
An association of private security firms has presented a personal protection plan to the central government, aimed at victims of domestic violence who have won restraining orders against their aggressors.

The association's chairman, Vicente de la Cruz Garcia, said that it is designed to provide protection and strengthen the victim's feeling of security and tranquility, essential for leading a normal life.

He said that the administration does not have the means to provide protection for all the victims.
He said that the proposal was legal, quoting article 17 of the Constitution, which says that security is a constitutional right, while the law on private security regulates the figure of the security guard.