Extreme jealousy is the most common risk factor for lethality in cases of domestic violence in Puerto Rico

Based on the findings of the Department of Justice Evaluation study and analyzed by the Institute for Statistics

December 17, 2025; San Juan, Puerto Rico - The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice presented the findings of the Danger Assessment analysis, a tool implemented by prosecutors in the criminal investigation process, to identify the levels of danger of femicide faced by victims of domestic violence in Puerto Rico

The study, which analyzed 2,149 cases between July and November 2024, provided relevant information that highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen prevention and protection strategies against domestic violence in Puerto Rico. Both this report and the previous pilot study agree in consistently pointing out the need to prioritize intervention in the most affected sectors, with the purpose of preventing new deaths and reducing the risk of fatality among victims. Among the data, the following stand out:

● Throughout Puerto Rico, the three most common risk factors for fatality identified were: Extreme jealousy manifested in a violent and constant way (49.8%), Having sons or daughters who are not the aggressor's (47.7%) and Having abandoned the relationship the previous year after living with him(39.0%).

● The injured parties have an average age of 36 years, with the group from 20 to 39 years old being the most represented (62.1% of cases). However, women up to the age of 83 were registered.

● 47.5% of domestic violence complaints (1,019 cases) resulted in charges being filed at the Puerto Rico level, a percentage that responds to multiple factors and that varies significantly between different judicial regions.

● One in four victims faced a level of danger from severe to extreme of being a victim of femicide.

o Women with severe or extreme dangerousness are almost 11 times more likely to have been used against them or threatened with a weapon, compared to those who are of varying or increasing danger.

o When evaluating the group of women with severe or extreme danger, it was found that the partner or former partner was jealous of them and showed it violently and constantly (83.5%). 76.6% fear that their partner or former partner is capable of killing them and that 72.8% of women felt that their partner or former partner controls most of their daily activities.

o The municipalities with the highest adjusted rates of victims, aged 15 or older and in severe or extreme danger, were Vieques, Florida and Culebra.

“Having reliable and up-to-date data is essential for the development of effective public policies. This study provides a solid basis for strengthening interagency coordination and focusing efforts on the prevention of lethal violence in Puerto Rico.” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

“Through the daily work carried out by our prosecutors, the Department of Justice is collecting valuable data, which are not only essential for the development of security strategies within our functions, but must also be shared with the entities that provide services to victims and the entire security component, in order to strengthen prevention and improve the care they receive. This initiative reflects our commitment to remain proactive in protecting and supporting all victims of domestic violence,” added Justice Secretary Lourdes L. Gómez Torres.

For her part, Dr. Idania R. Rodríguez, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Statistics and lead author of the study, noted that “Beyond statistics, this report seeks to make visible the real danger faced by many women in Puerto Rico. Each finding represents an opportunity to act with greater urgency and design effective and equitable interventions. Prioritizing municipalities and regions with the highest risk is essential to reduce lethal violence and strengthen the safety and protection of women on the island.”

To access the full report you can visit: Findings from the Risk Assessment Sheet

For more information you can visit the website www.estadisticas.pr.gov or the social media accounts of Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico).

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable and have quick and universal access.

About the Puerto Rico Department of Justice

The Department of Justice has the mission of ensuring faithful compliance with the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and aspiring to the highest principles of equality and human dignity. It also represents the people of Puerto Rico in civil and criminal cases, and provides certainty to the legal trafficking of real estate on the island. It performs these functions with effectiveness, integrity, a sense of justice and the strongest commitment to public service. The Department of Justice is committed to doing justice to victims of violence and the current public policy is zero tolerance and repudiation of all acts of violence against women.

Statistics Institute Press Contacts:

Lourdesburgs/787-562-2932/ lburgos@upfrontpr.net

IDIA Martinez/787-603-3200/imartinez@upfrontpr.net

Department of Justice Press Contacts:

Astridmatos/787-590-7385/ astrid.matos@justicia.pr.gov

Kike O'Neill/787-394-9469/ kikeoneill.prensa@gmail.com

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Results Report published for the 2008 statistics release schedule

Puerto Rico Statistics Institute releases results for fiscal year 2021-2022

In one year, they update data on violent deaths, gender-based violence, child abuse and present the first report on the needs of the deaf community in Puerto Rico

September 12, 2022: The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics released its Results Report for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, which includes a summary of the most significant achievements during this period.

“During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the Institute continued and initiated several comprehensive projects and programs with a significant impact on Puerto Rico. This is thanks to technological innovation and the undisputed commitment of an excellent team,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

The report highlights the updating of data on violent deaths in Puerto Rico, through the publication of the 2018 Annual Violent Deaths Report. Later this year, the report for 2019 and then the report for 2020 will be published. The Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System (PRVDRS) collects, analyzes and publishes information on all violent deaths in Puerto Rico that occur due to suicide, homicide, unintentional firearm injuries, deaths due to legal intervention (except the death penalty) and deaths with undetermined intent.

The report also points out that it was possible to obtain more and better statistics on gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, published in the Platform for Statistics and Indicators of Gender-based Violence. Regarding this topic, the Institute drafted guidelines for the implementation of the System for the Compilation and Management of Statistical Data on Gender-based Violence in Puerto Rico, in compliance with Law 40 of August 27, 2021, and worked with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau to draft collaboration agreements.

Disdier stated that, “in an achievement for the deaf community in Puerto Rico, the Institute conducted a study on the needs of this community, both the adult population and the children and the tools their teachers need to support them in schools.” This new product, called Deaf Community Needs Study: Interactive Report, presents the first results of the survey that the Institute conducted, both to deaf and partially deaf people, and to the general public. In addition, the interactive report presents the results of focus group interviews with teachers of students with hearing difficulties. The Institute will continue with additional phases of the study in fiscal year 2023.

In the same way, it should be noted in the report, the development and publication of the Puerto Rico Child Abuse Profile: Interactive Report 2018-2022, which consists of a new digital platform through which statistics related to child abuse are organized and summarized, based on secondary data provided by various local agencies and the federal government. Available statistics show the number of children abused per year, the rates of abuse, the geographical distribution of abuse, the distribution and magnitude of the types of abuse, the ratio of the perpetrator, and the contrast between Puerto Rico and other jurisdictions in the United States. Not only does this profile fill an information gap that existed since the previous publication, which dates back to 2015, but now the report is a digital and interactive one, in which the user can select between several years, categories and variables, and can even download the data for subsequent analysis.

“During the next fiscal year of 2023, we will continue to work on important contributions to the Puerto Rico Statistics Production Service. These efforts will continue to strengthen our capacity as a society to make decisions based on empirical data, which will continue, in turn, to help Puerto Rico set out on the path of sustainable socio-economic development,” concluded Disdier.

The Results Report of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics is available, free of charge, on the Institute's website and its PDF version is downloadable through the following link: Results Report 2021_22.pdf.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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