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President signs new law against domestic violence and weapons By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
President Carlos Alvarado signed Tuesday the reforms made to two laws. One is the law against domestic violence and another is the law on weapons and explosives. The measures are designed to increase the control of possession of firearms in homes and prevent femicides. Femicide has been used to describe killings of women by intimate partners and family members; it has also been used to describe gender-related killings in the community. The term femicide was introduced in the last century to describe killings of women that were gender related in order to recognize the impact of inequality and discrimination, identified internationally as a root cause of violence against women. According to Alvarado, these changes in the law "are an important tool and, in some cases, the first line of defense available to women who face situations of aggression in their family or partner relationships." The firearms law aims to protect victims of domestic violence when a weapon is involved. It allows removal of the weapon which will remain in the custody of the judicial authorities until there is a final resolution, either for its return to the owner or confiscation. The new law also dictates that it is the duty of the Supreme Court of Justice to keep a record of the names and information of the person against whom precautionary measures of protection have been imposed. This database must be confidential and consulted only by a judge. The new law also provides that a person suspected of committing domestic violence will request the early lifting of the imposed measure and a judge will assess that request. According to the Special Permanent Commission of Women, of the Legislative Assembly, domestic violence and femicides have increased considerably, and additional measures are sought to help stem this social epidemic. According to the National Institute of Women, in 10 years, between 2007 and 2017 there were more than 300 femicides in the country. In many cases, women were killed with a firearm. ---------------- What other types of security measures should be incorporated into the Family Violence Law to prevent attacks or deaths of women by their partners? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
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