8 August 2008

BARCELONA / OVIEDO / GERONA - August has been a dark month for gender violence and other crimes of passion.

On Thursday, a 19-year-old man turned himself in to Civil Guard authorities in Salamanca after allegedly killing his 18-year-old girlfriend.

The day before, police in Gijon found the semi-naked body of Maria de León Reyes, a 37-year-old mother of Dominican origin whose family had asked the media to help find her after she disappeared a week ago.

In Barcelona, a 28-year-old woman, originally from Russia, reportedly threw herself off a balcony in the centre of the city after arguing with her boyfriend.

And in Alicante, a man was killed after he had an argument with his ex-girlfriend and her new partner.

There have been at least 37 violent deaths from crimes of passion or gender violence. Authorities reported that August is normally the worst month for these types of crimes, when the incidence rate rises to about 6.7 percent compared to other months.

And experts believe there is a reason. During a holiday period, couples spend more time together, increasing the chances that a violent male will try to dominate the relationship.

In Villamayor de Armuña, Salamanca, a 19-year-old man, identified only by his initials V.M.G.P., called authorities at around 5am Thursday to report that he had killed his girlfriend.

When Civil Guard arrived at an open area where he reported the couple had been, the police found the body of M.S.C.H. The suspect showed "no signs of strange behaviour," said Miguel Alejo, the Castilla y León government delegate.

In Gijon, the family of De León Reyes, a mother of two, had asked for the public's help in finding her after she never came home from her restaurant job.

Immediately, the family pointed fingers at her former boyfriend - identified as J.M.C. - and owner of two bars that had been closed for about a week. Family members said the former boyfriend "had a bad temper".

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