Spain’s left-leaning coalition government on Tuesday gave the green light to a draft law that would classify violence aimed at women by targeting their loved ones as a distinct criminal offence — the latest step in the country’s ongoing push to combat abuse against women.
Vicarious violence – sometimes described as violence by proxy – is generally understood as a form of gendered abuse in which a partner harms children or loved ones to cause suffering to their mother.
It refers to cases ‘exerted against women by the partner or ex-partner through an intermediary person’, which is most often a child but may also involve other relatives, said Spain’s Equality Minister Ana Redondo (main image) at a press briefing.
‘It is a form of violence that is not incorporated in our legal system. We think that, since reality is what it is, it is essential to classify it, incorporate it, and define it,’ she said.
According to the ministry, 65 children in Spain have been killed in acts of vicarious violence since records began in 2013. But such abuse is not always fatal – it can also involve subtler behaviours such as withholding a child’s medication, refusing to take them to sports they enjoy, or returning them to their mother in dirty clothing.
The proposed reform of the penal code would attach gender-based aggravating factors to vicarious violence, with penalties ranging from six months to three years in prison. It would also bar perpetrators from publishing material or documents that might further harm or distress the victim. ALSO READ: Spanish court applies gender violence law to convict man for killing puppy in front of partner.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist-led administration, which has consistently portrayed itself as a champion of feminism and gender equality, still needs parliamentary backing for the bill, as it does not hold a majority in the chamber.
Spain has long been regarded as a pioneer in tackling gender violence. Legislation enacted in 2005 introduced a host of measures to protect women, including specialised courts, free legal aid, emergency accommodation, and the prosecution of abusers even in cases where the victim had not filed a complaint.
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👉Se trata de una ley “pionera a nivel europeo” que tipifica la violencia vicaria con penas específicas y medidas civiles reforzadas. pic.twitter.com/REDdvqt7Nf
— Ministerio de Igualdad (@IgualdadGob) September 30, 2025
Hoy el Consejo de Ministros ha aprobado:
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) September 30, 2025
🔸 Tipificación de la violencia vicaria
🔸 Subvenciones para localización, exhumación e identificación de víctimas de la guerra de España y la dictadura
🔸 Oficina española para la Reconstrucción de Ucrania
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