INCREASE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARRESTS

Joan Collins THE local police in Palma recorded, in 2005, a rise of 31.5 percent in crimes of domestic violence, while there was an overall fall of 3.08 percent in the number of offences (crimes and defaults) committed in the city. These figures were presented yesterday by the councillor for Citizen Security and Transport, Alvaro Gijon; the Chief Commissioner of the Local Police, Nicolas Herrero, and the head of the Judicial Police, Miquel Pericas, who said that the number of crimes in 2005 was 5'450 and defaults 2'823 which together gave a total of 8'273 penal offences, which was a reduction of 3.08 percent in comparison with 2004. Arrests rose by 1.4 percent compared with 2004, reaching a total of 1'770. In addition to this 232 fast track hearings were carried out and 13'647 judicial reports were dictated. With regard to crimes of domestic violence, interventions required via the 092 line rose to 579, some 31.5 percent more than in 2004, when there were 440. In addition to this, complaints about domestic violence made in police stations rose to 465, leading to 240 arrests and 627 exclusion orders. This was more than in 2004 when they had 385 complaints in stations and 182 arrests. Pericas said that these figures proved that the commitment to act in cases of domestic violence, laid down in the Service Charter, had been achieved “very well”. The Service Charter demands that, in 90 percent of cases, the police arrive at the scene of an assault in 10 minutes and attend to complaints made in police stations within 20 minutes.