Nearly half a million women residing in Spain have not received child support payments for the past 12 months, as stipulated in their divorce agreements. For the first time, the five-yearly macro-survey conducted by the Ministry of Equality includes a question on economic violence, the third most frequent type of gender-based violence and "a very silent and devastating form," as described this Wednesday by the Spanish government's delegate for Gender Violence, Carmen Martínez Perza, at the presentation. The report also concludes that 30% of women over the age of 16 have experienced an episode of gender-based violence at some point in their lives. In this edition of the macro-survey, the ministry has separated economic violence from the control exerted by the abuser because, as Martínez Perza indicated, it goes beyond monitoring the woman's behavior, movements, and financial resources, which "limits her autonomy and freedom and makes it difficult for her to escape." This category includes everything from non-payment of child support to excessive control of spending, the use of credit cards, taking out loans in the woman's name without her consent, preventing access to bank accounts, and prohibiting her from working or studying outside the home. According to the survey, the prevalence of this type of abuse is around 12% of women, almost three million, who in many cases are subjected to these situations for years, becoming completely dependent. Gemma Fernández is one of those women who, once divorced, has no choice but to "put up with it" because her ex-husband has abandoned their two minor children, and, being insolvent, she doesn't dare report him. "What would be the point? None," says Fernández, who, to pay off loans her former partner took out without informing her, is forced to work two jobs and watch every penny. In fact, financial abuse is one of the least reported forms of violence.

Minister of Equality Ana Redondo has been virtually unknown to the public during these first two years of her term. In the July poll conducted by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), the most recent survey to ask about ministers, 72.8% of respondents said they did not know her, placing her as one of the least-publicized figures in the Cabinet. However, in recent days, the controversy over the anti-abuse bracelets has put her in the spotlight and turned Redondo into a right-wing foe. Within the framework of the PP's offensive against the Minister of Equality, Congress approved this Wednesday to censure her, at the proposal of Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party. However, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez came to Redondo's defense and expressed his "solidarity" with her over the "accusations" she has received from the right. He also argued that the wristband system works "better than before."

The controversy over anti-abuse bracelets has opened a new battle between the Spanish government and the People's Party (PP). The conservatives are attacking the executive for what they call a "failure" and are calling for the resignation or dismissal of the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo. Along these lines, they will bring a proposal to Congress tomorrow to condemn her. Meanwhile, Redondo asserts that the mechanisms used to ensure compliance with some restraining orders in cases of domestic violence—which are used very little in Catalonia compared to other parts of the country—have worked "at all times." This idea is also emphasized by Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegría, who this morning argued that while the system "is not infallible," it is "safe," and accused the People's Party (PP) of lying and causing "fear and uncertainty."

An error in the restraining order control system left the location data of many individuals investigated and convicted for domestic violence crimes inaccessible, which would have been key to proving violations of these protection orders. The effects of this, warns the Attorney General's Office, have been noted in "a large number of provisional dismissals or acquittals." The incident that occurred last year affected both cases that were in the investigation phase and were ultimately closed, as well as trials in which, due to lack of evidence, a violation of the restraining order could not be convicted.