Natural Disasters Lead to Spike in Domestic Violence Cases, Activists Say

Puerto Rico has the highest per capita rate in the world of women over 14 years old who were killed by their partners. Recent killings of both transgender and non-transgender women led to dozens of protests and women support groups to address the issue.

Community activists on the island say natural disasters, like Hurricane Maria in 2017, followed by the public health crisis in 2020, apply more pressure to a growing issue. Some also say that the lack of support from law enforcement adds to the problem. The ACLU documented cases of women killed by their partners after being denied help from the police. According to the director of Puerto Rico’s Coalition Against Violence and Sexual Assault, “Sexual assault is the only crime in which victims have to defend themselves and prove that they’re victims.”

In this project, a survivor of domestic violence tells her story. In addition, activists talk about their efforts to identify these issues in their communities.