MADRID – The government was holding talks Monday with women’s’ groups to discuss measures to bring to prevent more domestic violence attacks.

The move comes after 19 women and four children were killed this year alone in Spain.

In the most recent case, a mother and her two daughters were burnt to death in a house fire allegedly started by her former husband in Alcira in Valencia province in north-east Spain on 29 April.

The Minister of the Interior Antonio Camacho and the president of the Observatory Against Domestic Violence, Montserrat Comas, met Monday to try to discuss ways to strengthen protection for women.

They were analysing cases in which women or children who were attacked were already under protection from violence partners.

The meeting comes just days before the Commission for Protection Orders meets to examine how efficient these orders are in protecting women.

This body is also considering how to protect women who are at high-risk from repeated attacks.

A woman dies each week in Spain from attacks by husbands or boyfriends.

The new Socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has promised to introduce a new law to strengthen protection orders and to toughen punishments for those who abuse their partners.

Zapatero himself has promised to “eradicate this plague” from Spanish society.

Despite a crackdown on domestic violence last year, 30 percent more attacks were reported.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]
                  

                                   Subject: Spanish news