Homicide count in Spain falls to under 300 in a year for the first time

The new figure confirms a downward trend observable for over a decade. In 2005, for instance, the homicide count was 518.

¡°Despite this drop, behind every number there is a tragedy. That is why we must never be satisfied and why we must redouble our efforts,¡± said Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido at the presentation of the 2016 Criminality Balance Report.

It is satisfying to see a reduction in this gloomy figure, but it is also sad because of what lies behind the numbers

Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido

¡°Spain ranks second in the European Union on the list of countries with the lowest homicide rates,¡± added Zoido.

According to the data released on Tuesday, the 2016 rate was 0.63 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Spain was only outdone by Austria, with a rate of 0.47 (although Spain¡¯s 2016 figures are compared with 2014 Eurostat data for other countries).

Also, homicide attempts rose last year compared with 2015, ¡°although this figure has shrunk over the last five years,¡± said the minister.

The government¡¯s report also reflects the 44 women whose murders were classified as domestic violence, representing 15% of the total figure for 2016. A year earlier, 60 women had died at the hands of their partners or spouses.

¡°It is satisfying to see a reduction in this gloomy figure, but it is also sad because of what lies behind the numbers,¡± said Zoido.

So far this year, 10 women have been killed by their current or former partners.

English version by Susana Urra.