Eighteen individuals lost their lives due to gender-related violence so far this year, following the announcement by Asturias authorities.
** Updated Report: Rising Femicides in Spain in 2025**
A chilling increase in gender-related killings of women in Spain over the past year has sadly continued, with the number of victims reaching 18 in 2025. The latest confirmed case involves a 49-year-old woman whose lifeless body was found on June 24, following a 40-day disappearance.
This disheartening trend is consistent with ongoing, deeply ingrained gender-based violence problems in Europe and the rest of the world. Femicide, or gender-related killings of women, is often linked to a vicious cycle of power dynamics, control, and misogyny. In these cases, violence often starts with intimate partner violence and brutalizes women within their personal relationships.
The recent alarming increase in Spain reflects the complex root causes that have persisted despite awareness and legal frameworks. While governments may adopt policies against gender violence, systemic failures in implementation, underreporting, and legal loopholes thwart proactive prevention strategies.
Unsurprisingly, underreporting and lack of recognition are rampant, with many femicides classified as generic homicides, leaving crucial details regarding the gender-based context of these crimes absent. Furthermore, the underreported nature of gender-related killings magnifies the gravity of the issue.
Our society adopted an attitude that condones or normalizes violence against women, exacerbating the crisis. This deep-seated cultural problem leaves femicide rates alarmingly high.
Looking beyond Spain, femicides are reported across European countries, with the European Union experiencing sustained or even increasing rates of gender-based killings of women and girls. Globally, an estimated 51,100 women and girls were murdered by intimate partners or family members in 2023.
Efforts to counter this tragic trend must address the crisis’s various aspects. Strides could be made by legally recognizing femicide, reinforcing implementation mechanisms, tackling cultural biases, and providing comprehensive support for women at risk.
Specifically, countries like Spain could improve prevention, punishment, and societal acknowledgment of gender-based killings by explicitly recognizing femicide in law. Comprehensive policy enforcement, inclusive of specialized police units and judicial responses, is necessary to break through symbolic commitments and establish real protection for women.
Awareness and education campaigns can help reshape cultural norms that enable gender violence, while support services for women, such as shelters and mental health programs, are essential to help women escape abusive situations before violence escalates.
To better understand and counter femicide, it’s crucial to collect and analyze data centrally, enabling targeted interventions and measuring progress.
In conclusion, the escalating number of women murdered in Spain in 2025 is a testament to the enduring societal and systemic challenges related to gender inequality and intimate partner violence. To combat this significant issue consistent with European and global strategies, legal recognition, robust policy enforcement, cultural shifts, and comprehensive support systems for women at risk are all the keys to unlock a safer future for women everywhere.
The ongoing rise in femicides in Spain, as outlined in the updated report, is a severe issue intertwined with broader gender-based violence problems across Europe and the world, highlighting the need for legal recognition of femicide, robust policy enforcement, cultural shifts, and comprehensive support systems for women at risk.
The alarming trend in Spain mirrors global concerns, with general-news outlets, politics, and crime-and-justice sectors all seeking meaningful solutions to prevent these gender-related killings, encourage justice, and foster a safer society for women.
