More than 5 thousand female victims have been treated for violence in hospitals during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
During the stage of confinement by Covid-19, health units and hospitals have treated over 5 thousand women for intra-family violence in the country, which is already considered “an equally serious pandemic”, because of the great number of cases, “The focus of alert” for it to occur in isolation.
The figure of 5,015 cases, registered until May 9, was higher than that of people who died from Covid-19 until that day, which was 3,465.
For the researcher at the School of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Noemí Díaz Marroquín, “it is extremely serious that more women suffer from violence and that it is just as serious as those who die from Covid-19”.
“Violence against women is a pandemic that has been present for centuries and has been visible until recently, and it is men, (in most cases husbands and sentimental partners) who are responsible for these attacks,” she explained.
She indicated that due to the conditions of the Mexican families, the most common causes of the aggression towards them are jealousy, economic problems, raising children, overcrowding, and lack of privacy.
In the case of Mexico, the most recent survey of the dynamics of relationships in the home reports that 62 percent of different types of violence occurred and that there is also an underreporting situation, as only one in ten cases is reported to the authorites.
“For a woman to enter the medical units for physical violence, it means that she has suffered severe physical violence that puts her life at risk, mostly related to a sexual, patrimonial, or psychological situation,” she added.
Under the measures of healthy distance, women have been forced to live in confinement, for 24 hours, with their aggressors, which puts them at high risk.
The specialist said that if a woman enters or must go to medical services for violent assault, it is a sign that support networks must be provided because this can escalate without any consequences for the aggressor, and spaces of impunity can be generated that can lead to femicides.
UNAM specialist, Noemí Díaz Marroquín concluded saying that for women who experience these situations, along with their children, the risk of domestic violence is greater during the quarantine, so if they seek medical attention, it is necessary to provide real support and closer accompaniment, and not only refer them to a 01 800 helpline.
Source: OEM
The Mazatlan Post