The Listin Diario reports that 12 women have been killed by their spouses in incidents of domestic violence this September. The total number of victims of domestic violence reported by police this month is 19, to include four children, as well as three men who committed suicide after taking the lives of family members.
Psychiatrist Cesar Mella says that the press coverage of the killings has only encouraged mentally unstable individuals to emulate what they perceive to be a solution to their personal crises, thus leading to a record-high incidence of reported domestic crimes.
The Alianza por los Derechos y Desarrollo de la Mujer y la Familia (ADDEM) says that police reports indicate 125 women have died so far this year in domestic violence incidents. Reina Cohen says the country does not have any shelters for abused women, which obliges the battered women to return to their homes or stay with friends.
The organization is planning a workshop called “International Seminar on Domestic Violence and its Economic, Social and Labor Impact”, in connection with the International Alliance of Women (IAW), to be held in the Dominican Republic.