Orantes, Ana (c. 1937–1997)

Spanish woman whose violent death changed attitudes on domestic abuse in her nation. Born around 1937; died in Granada, Spain, in December 1997; married Jose Parejo (divorced).

On December 4, 1997, 60-year-old Spanish housewife Ana Orantes discussed on a television talk show the physical abuse she had suffered for 20 years at the hands of her then ex-husband, Jose Parejo. He watched the show, and swore to friends he would kill her. This he did on December 17, by beating her, showering her with gasoline, and setting her on fire. Mistreatment of wives had not been made a punishable offense in Spain until the late 1960s, and domestic-violence laws favored abusers by allowing each case to be reviewed as a first-time offense, therefore often permitting abusers to walk away with nothing more than a small fine. The huge public outcry after Orantes' murder, however, led to review and revision of these laws. Women across the country began demonstrating for tougher penalties, and women's groups called for reform of both the legal system and the society that saw fit to let terrorismo familiar (domestic violence) off lightly. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar introduced legislation calling for a stricter penal code, speciallytrained police units, and sensitivity-training courses for judges. By the following year, murders in Spain of women by their partners or ex-partners, the rate of which had held steady for several years, had dropped by nearly half, and the campaign against domestic violence was continuing.

sources:

The Christian Science Monitor. January 19, 1999.

"Less Abuse?" in Newsweek. April 27, 1998.