Latest figures from the General Council of the Judiciary indicate that there were 1,147 reports of gender-based violence in the Balearics in the first quarter of 2021. These were down 15% compared with the January to March period of 2020 and were also 20% down on the final quarter of 2020.
These decreases mean that, for the first time in years, the Balearics does not have the highest rate of reports in the country. The number was, however, still well above the national average of 14.4 reports per 10,000 inhabitants. The ratio in the Balearics was 18.5, behind Murcia's 19.7.
The figures show that there was a considerable between reports made by or on behalf of women of Spanish nationality and those related to women from other countries. There was in fact a 17% increase for Spanish women, while reports for foreign women were down 32%.
The courts issued 114 protection orders, whereas there were 289 in the first quarter of 2020. Despite the fall in the number of reports, convictions went up five per cent to 177. There was, meanwhile, a five per cent decrease in the number of cases that went to trial because of lack of evidence. Of cases that were investigated, some two-thirds were for physical abuse.
Lawyer Ángeles Carmona says that the decreases reflect the impact of the health crisis. "Restrictions on mobility have been one more obstacle for victims in taking the step to make reports."