A recent study titled ‘Femicide in the Dominican Republic during 2024: An X-ray of Femicide Violence 2016-2024’ has uncovered alarming trends in gender-based violence. The report reveals that active or inactive members of military institutions and armed forces, including the National Police and the Army of the Dominican Republic, are the primary perpetrators of femicide in the country. In 2024 alone, 73 women were violently killed by 74 men, with the majority of these crimes committed by police officers and military personnel against their partners or ex-partners. Shockingly, 67% of these cases involved the use of service firearms, and 83% of the perpetrators chose to take their own lives with the same weapon after committing the crime. The victims, predominantly aged between 25 and 31, left behind an average of one to four children, resulting in 77 children orphaned in 2024. Over the past nine years, femicides have orphaned 1,072 children, with 524 being children of female victims, 418 of perpetrators, and 130 shared by both. Tragically, 21 children were killed during violent conflicts between their parents. The study highlights the devastating physical and emotional consequences of femicide, particularly on children and adolescents, and underscores the urgent need for systemic change to address this crisis.
Police and military agents are the main perpetrators of femicides in the Dominican Republic
