Proposal for the effective treatment of gender-related violence

Abstract

Gender-related violence continues to cast a shadow on Spanish society despite the passing of a comprehensive law and the adoption of judicial measures that deal with such crimes. Self-regulation on the part of the media has helped give more objectivity to reports and stories on the topic. Yet the number of cases where women die at the hands of their husbands or partners continues to rise. We therefore propose a radical change in the way information is disseminated in this regard, not only to prevent more crimes, but also to generate real social awareness about this issue. We suggest the Ministry of the Interior to provide the media with photographs and/or videos of the accused while they are being held in the police station and in their prison cells, the way other criminal cases are treated. In addition, the media should take more concrete steps apart from those which they are observing in the current self-regulatory codes. We believe that news reports and documentaries that touch on this matter should take on a different focus, that is, to give a name and a face to the accused and to mention the punishment that is in store for them.