The Hospital Clínic de Barcelona has treated 556 sexual assaults until October, a figure that represents an increase of 51% compared to the same period last year when 368 were registered. "The concern is evident, from the Department of Health and from society as a whole" , pointed out Minister of Health, Manel Balcells, since it is the highest number of cases treated at the health center in the last five years.
The director of the Clínic, Josep Maria Campistol, affirmed that these are "absolutely chilling" data and highlight a "society that is sick, sexist and violent" while the president of the hospital's domestic and gender violence commission, the psychiatrist Lluïsa Garcia Esteve, recalled that the figures could indicate that there is a better knowledge of this Clínic service and that, as it is the reference in Barcelona, there are more victims who go to it, who also do so with less "fear and shame "than previous years.
From January 1 to October 31, 556 attacks were attended, 51% more than the same period in 2021 (368) and already above the record for all of last year (468).
They were acts committed by men and whose victims were 90% women compared to 10% men.
Half of the assaulted women (53%) were under 25 years of age, the youngest being 16 years old and the oldest 82. 57% of the women suffered a rape (vaginal, anal or oral) and also 51% of men had anal penetration.
The study highlights that the majority of attacks are in homes (44.6%), followed by discotheque toilets (17%) and 13% in the street.
61% of the victims admit to having consumed alcohol at least 6 hours before the attack, this being the most detected substance in the analyzes of the women treated in the first 24 hours.
In the analyzes of 37.6% of the victims, suspicion of intoxication appeared, mainly alcohol, cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines.
In 83% of the cases of intoxication (113), the rapist acted opportunistically, that is, he took advantage of the affectation of the drugs that the victim had voluntarily ingested, while in 17% of the cases ( 23) the assailant tricked the woman into taking the substance without her knowledge.
The Clínic's emergencies have treated 72 women for punctures since the beginning of the year, but only on two occasions did this element coincide with a sexual assault, while in no case were substances found in the victims' bodies.
On the other hand, the percentage of victims who have been raped by more than one aggressor has decreased to 10% (15.4% the previous year), but in absolute numbers the value is the same: 50 women, the majority (60% ) under 25 years of age.
In addition, the study highlights that in 44.8% of cases, the aggressor is a known person and in 4.7% it is a partner or ex-partner.
Half of the victims treated at the Clínic express their intention to report or have already done so when they arrive at the emergency room, while 31.5% state that at that moment they cannot yet think of taking this step.
Eight homeless women were also served.
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