Taking on the responsibility of not informing involved parties, especially the victim, about a conviction for ill-treatment, as reflected in a communication from the High Court of Justice of the Community of Valencia, appears unfair. The message stated that none of the spouses told the Family Court about the existence of criminal proceedings for ill-treatment. The lawyer who represented the mother in the divorce case did not have access to this information because his client did not share it.
Lawyer Reyes Albero notes that victims often cannot relay information that might help their families or their legal representatives. They can be overwhelmed, anxious, and afraid of making the situation worse by provoking the abuser. The dynamic can trap a victim in a fear-filled loop where sharing details feels risky, and silence seems safer even when it harms the pursuit of justice.
Lawyers call for technical tools to verify abuse history
“Afraid of angering the beast, she believed the tension would ease”, explains the mother’s attorney. Her ex-husband is described as alive in a state of torment, deeply scarred by the pain he caused by harming loved ones, including the child they share. Reyes Albero points out that the woman believed her husband might attack her again, but she never imagined the risk he posed to the child.
Following a sequence of persistent messages from the former partner and murder suspect who sought access to the child, the mother agreed to allow a visit for a few hours on what would have been her birthday. The exchange that followed raised concerns about safety and the adequacy of supervision during such visits.
More than a dozen messages were sent by the abuser in a single morning, repeatedly pressing for custody or contact with the child in clear violation of existing restrictions. The pattern underscores a broader issue: the need for reliable monitoring of communications that could threaten the safety of victims and children alike.
The proposal from the legal team is to install alert systems and other technical tools so judges and lawyers can access comprehensive criminal information within a single divorce proceeding. They envision standardized guidelines that would apply to all parties within the judiciary, removing reliance on discretionary decisions by individual judges or prosecutors. In cases handled by Judge Sueca Court and Judge Four, who are known for handling violence against women, there is a preference for reviewing criminal records before the separation procedure concludes. This approach aims to create a clearer, safer framework for decision-making in sensitive family matters.