“In a small apartment outside Madrid on Jan. 11, 2022, a dispute over household chores turned violent when Lobna Hemid’s husband destroyed a wooden shoe rack and used a broken piece to assault her. Despite her screams being heard by neighbors, their four children, aged 6 to 12, were also present. Ms. Hemid later informed the police that her husband, Bouthaer el Banaisati, had a history of physical abuse towards her, in addition to verbally abusing her with derogatory language.
After the incident, the police utilized an algorithm called VioGén to assess the level of danger Ms. Hemid was in. The algorithm determined a low risk for her, and she was sent home without further protection. Meanwhile, her husband, who was arrested that night, was released the following day. Tragically, seven weeks later, he fatally stabbed Ms. Hemid multiple times before taking his own life. She was 32 years old.
Spain has integrated VioGén into its law enforcement system to combat gender violence, resulting in both positive and negative outcomes. While the algorithm has helped protect vulnerable women and reduce repeat attacks, there have been cases where victims deemed at low risk have been harmed again, sometimes with fatal consequences. The reliance on VioGén has raised concerns about the accuracy of risk assessments, as evidenced by the number of women who have been attacked or killed despite being categorized as low risk by the algorithm.
The Spanish government has defended VioGén as a valuable tool in reducing violence against women, citing a decrease in repeat attacks since its implementation. However, critics argue that the algorithm may not always accurately predict the risk levels for victims, leading to tragic outcomes. Victims and their families have expressed frustration with the system, emphasizing the need for human judgment and empathy in cases of domestic violence.”