Domestic violence

(to) stab : poignarder

corrupt (adj) : corrompu

The charity « Women for Justice » gives women of domestic violence in Bolivia a place to turn for support and a listening ear.

* Rosa, 26, escaped from her abusive husband 2 months ago. « He wants to kick me here on my temple… unconscious (for) half an hour. When I woke up, my face was all green and... blood coming out of my ear.  It traumatized my daughters . They don’t want to go home. »

* Some victims don’t manage to escape in time.

* On February 11th, a young journalist died after she was stabbed at least a dozen times in front of her young son. The main suspect, her husband, was a policeman.

This case is becoming a rallying point for anti-violence campaigners (who are) furious after a surge in such murders.

* 120 women in Bolivia were killed by their husband or partner last year.

* This rise in violence is due to the fact that women are taking a growing role in public life, and the patriarchal and macho society that we live in reacts against social change and responds violently.

* Under the pressure of public opinion, the government fast track a vote on a new law aiming to protect women from violence. The text notably makes killing your spouse or partner specifically, criminal offence punished with a minimum 30-year jail term.

* This public policy even forcing punishment will have an immediate impact on impunity.

* The process of educating people or transforming society is slower. It’s for the medium or long term.

* But campaigners are convinced the new law will make a difference.

* Maria… hosts a daily radio show. The callers speak out about violence against women. She doesn’t have much faith in the new law though. « This new law is terrible, above all because it gives most of the responsibility to the Bolivian police. The police are very corrupt. They’re violent, they’re macho and they’re racist. So it makes no sense to give the police a responsibility for the problems they don’t care about. »

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