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pepper spray/Archive photograph
The National Institute for Women of Panama delivered this Tuesday to women victims of sexist violence the first boats of pepper spray for self-defense, which are equipped with a special ink to mark the aggressors.
The director of the National Institute for Women (Inamu), Nellys Herrera, told the journalists that many of the women who are receiving the pepper spray have been “death threatened” by a person they know and are close to, be it their “partner or ex-partner”.< /strong>
This group of women, who have experienced violence, fear that their aggressor will break the restraining order issued by a judge. Herrera.
For this reason, the pepper spray case has an ink that will allow it to be sprayed. identify the aggressor at the time of being captured so that “it is evident that he broke the law. the protection measure”.
The National Institute for Women has approximately 2,000 pepper sprays to be distributed among women who are victims of domestic violence and macho.
Although different from tear gas which is typically made up of the chemical chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS) and pepper spray is derived from the plant capsicum, this type of spray irritates the eyes to the point of causing tears , pain and even temporary blindness.
Although in Panama There are no restrictions or limitations for the purchase of pepper spray, informed consent and training for its use are required, Inamu has pointed out.
The cases of female victims Femicide rates increased 20% and those of violent death 100% during the first quarter of this year in Panama, compared to the same period. od 2021.
Between last January and March, 6 women were victims of femicide, one more than in the same period of 2021, while 8 suffered violent deaths, compared to 4 the previous year, according to statistics from the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office).
In April 2022, three other women were killed solely due to their gender.
The Law 82 of Panama defines as femicide “causing the death of a woman based on belonging to the female sex, due to discrimination or any other form of violence”.
“Violent death refers to all homicides of female persons that were not considered femicides, according to the Prosecutor’s assessment of the case and the application of Law 82”, indicates a report by the MP.
In 2021, feminicides fell by 29% in Panama, when 22 cases were registered compared to 31 in 2020, but violent deaths increased by 47%, adding 22 compared to 15 in the year previous, according to the statistics of the Fis