Since 2001 there has been a continuing increase in the number of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights killed as a result of gender-based violence inflicted by their partner or former partner.

In 2004, 72 Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, seven of whom had been granted protection measures, died at the hands of their partner or former partner.

The report,Spain: More than words: Making protection and justice a reality for Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights victims of gender violence in the home reveals prejudice and discriminatory practices in the institutional response to domestic violence in Spain.

It exposes the lack of protection for Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights from vulnerable groups: undocumented immigrant Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, gypsy Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, disabled Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and those with some kind of psychological problem or addiction face additional obstacles when seeking protection and assistance.

59-year-old Teresa, who left her husband after 38 years of insults, beatings and enforced sex, is convinced that if she reported him, her situation would get worse and that if he wanted to kill her, he would be able to do so.

She does not trust the public institutions to protect her. At the time of her interview with Amnesty International, she had spent nine months shut in her home with the blinds lowered so that her husband would think she had left the city.

Amalia Assumed name. Interview with Amnesty International in Barcelona province, October 2004. told the story of the reaction of her family to her situation: "My husband tried to kill me twice (...). My family still wasn’t sure. They said things like: 'Well, deep down he is a good person, you need to learn to bear it...' also, he drank, so it was: 'you must learn, when he drinks, not to provoke him. Because you are strong-headed...' and, I went on because he wouldn’t let me work either (...)."

Maria Naredo, Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's Officer at Amnesty International Spain said:

"The Spanish State has a responsibility to prevent violence, investigate abuses, punish those responsible and compensate the victims, and must do so without delay using all appropriate means".

Despite welcoming the drafting of a new law on gender-based violence, Amnesty International is concerned that the onus for setting protection measures in motion will continue to fall on the victims, and comprehensive help will only be available to those who lodge official complaints.

Official statistics show that over 95% of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights who suffer some kind of ill-treatment do not make a complaint.

Maria Naredo added:

"This law is only a working framework, a starting point for alleviating the obstacles facing Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, which Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights themselves have been pointing out. The Spanish government must put effective measures in place to make the rights of every woman a reality."

The UN committee which monitors discrimination against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights has alerted the Spanish government to the prevalence of violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and the increase in killings.

It highlighted the lack of protection for vulnerable groups, including undocumented immigrants, and expressed concern at the lack of coordination between the central government and different regions in the care of victims of violence.

The report makes a number of recommendations to the Spanish government, including:

• Minimum standards for response to gender-based violence throughout the country
• Effective action to bring about early detection of domestic violence, and to provide health care for survivors
• A review and evaluation of existing measures, with the involvement of survivors and Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's groups.

View the full report online