Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which takes place this Saturday, 25th November, the Catalan Mossos police have taken stock of the number of complaints and cases of sexist violence that they have dealt with so far this year. The data shows that, year after year, allegations of gender-based violence continue to rise. Specifically, with respect to 2022, reports of violence within couple settings have increased by 10%.
From January 1st to October 31st, the Mossos d’Esquadra investigated a total of 14,187 complaints, 9.6% more compared to the same period in 2022, and 6,056 men were arrested, which is an increase of 13.2% compared to last year. Does the increase in complaints represent an increase in violence? Not necessarily, because, since awareness-raising policies have been implemented around gender-based violence and its various expressions, there have been more complaints. There is violence, yes, but also a social change that prompts it to be reported more.
