The "fear of not being believed" by the courts. Impunity for sexual violence and female domestication during the 21st century in the Spanish state

Abstract

Introduction. This paper aims to analyse the literature on whether the "fear of not being believed" by the courts and th lack of trust in the Spanish judicial system decreases the report of sexual violence. Secondly, it aims to review the literature that adresses the impact on women's lives of the Great Recession (2007/8-2013/4) and violence against women from an economic perspective. Methodology: Through a socio-legal perspective, this study reviews the empirical and theoretical research about the topic addressed. Conclusions and contribution: A small number of sexual violence suffered by women in Spain is reported. One of the main causes is the lack of trust in the judicial system and the "fear of not being believed" by the courts, whose reasoning is based on rape myths. Moreover, the Great Recession (2017/8-2013/4) has worsened the situation of women and accentuated the domestication of women, as care has been privatized and commodified. Violence against women is also used as a strategy of female domestication that pushes women into domestic spaces, where their labour force can be exploited, in order to maintain the neoliberal order. However, the conclusions reached are limited because the body of literature on the issues addressed is still small and needs to be further researched.