In the first six months of this year, 16 women have been murdered after domestic violence became lethal.
The danger for women rises in the hot summer months of July, August and September with more women being attacked and murdered in their homes by a boyfriend, a partner or a former partner.
In 2017, 20 women died at home in an attacked categorised as domestic violence. This number follows a downward trend since 2015 but the 2018 increase has shocked observers
"It is obviously a worrisome reality," said the coordinator of UMAR which represents and campaigns for victims of domestic violence.
In its interim 2018 report, UMAR states that of the 16 women who had died of domestic violence since January 11th, all had "intimate relations" with the killer – a husband, partner or boyfriend.
In one case, the attacker was an ex-offender and in four cases, a son killed his mother.
Most of the victims were over 65, with the second most representative age group being 36 to 50-years-old.
Eight of the deaths were caused by weapons such as knives. Three were beaten to death with a household object and two were strangled. Only in one case did the killer use a firearm and there was one case of the victim being burned to death.
One death was in the street but the rest were at home, behind closed doors, “the area that offers the most danger to women," according to UMAR.
Eight of the perpetrators were held in pre-trial detention following the crime, while four committed suicide shortly thereafter. Four, therefore, were released pending trial.
The report also reveals that the 16 women killed by their partners since January this year, left 14 orphaned children, nine of whom are the children of the victim and her killer.
Many of the killers, "previously exercised power and control strategies over the victims, such as violence, intimidation and abuse," that culminated in homicide.
