Courts uphold only half of claims of domestic abuse

COURTS set up in the Balearic Islands to deal with charges of domestic violence reported yesterday that they dealt with more than 1'200 cases in the third quarter of 2009, but that only half concluded in the alleged aggressor being sentenced.

A domestic violence watchdog reporting to the Courts said yesterday that from July to September last year, there were 22.6 legal complaints for every 10'000 women in the Balearics, 7.4 points higher than the national average of 15.2 for every 10'000.

Cases which came to court in the Islands as a result of violence during this period resulted in 424 protection orders being registered with police for those victims considered to be at risk.

Statistics provided by the watchdog revealed that of the total number of legal complaints for domestic violence presented to Courts in the Balearics in the third quarter, 22.3 percent of cases (269) failed to reach a definitive conclusion because the women who opened the process decided not to continue with their claims.