Revealing new statistics show the tragic long-term effects on women who suffer from domestic violence.

 
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News > Peru

Peru: 70% of Domestic Violence Victims Dependent on Substances

  • Domestic violence specialist Nelly Canción providing a workshop at Vida Mujer

    Domestic violence specialist Nelly Canción providing a workshop at Vida Mujer | Photo: teleSUR / Rael Mora

Published 31 July 2015
Opinion

Revealing new statistics show the tragic long-term effects on women who suffer from domestic violence.

 

Nelly Canción, a psychologist and specialist on domestic violence, announced Friday the findings of recent studies regarding abused women by the National Institute of Statistics and Information and statistics from Doctor Doris Caceres from the National Hospital Dos de Mayo. The information shows that 37 percent of Peruvian women between the ages of 15 and 49 have been victims of domestic violence. Also, an estimated 70 percent of those victims end up depressed and dependent on drugs or alcohol. In addition, more than 3,000 children and adolescents from Peru between the ages of 12 and 17 years of age suffered from sexual assault between January of 2014 and April of 2015.

Canción who is also Director of the non-profit Vida Mujer, also claims that many start with sleeping pills or alcohol and then move to stronger drugs. “They could start drinking alcohol hiding and the family or children do not notice,” she claims and “taking pharmaceuticals, going out without caring for weather or not they should take care of themselves or their family,” she said.

One of those victims explained her situation to teleSUR, but preferred to keep her identity secret. She explained that in April of this year, paramedics were able to save her after she attempted suicide through consuming a great number of pills. She had also become dependent on drugs and alcohol after she was physically and emotionally abused by her partner. The victim explains that her partner “put himself on top of me and started beating me. He was wearing a ring I had given him, and it was very thick and left marks on me. I thought at that moment that I was going to die.”

A few women who experience domestic violence are able to get support at Vida Mujer, an organization that provides a save space, therapy sessions, and empowerment workshops. This non-profit has been able to free women from dependency on drugs and alcohol and also from the cycle of domestic violence. However, the majority of Peruvian women are currently left to deal with their tragic situation without this type of support. 

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