[JURIST] The Palestinian Authority (PA) [JURIST news archive] has failed to treat violence against women as criminal conduct, according to a report [text] released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] on Tuesday. The 101-page report entitled "A Question of Security: Violence Against Palestinian Women and Girls" says "little action has been taken to seriously address these abuses. Indeed, there is some evidence the level of violence is getting worse while the remedies available to victims are being further eroded." The report found that in 2005, 10 percent of married women in Palestinian territories reported incidences of sexual abuse, 23 percent said they were victims of domestic violence, and 61 percent said they were subjected to psychological violence. Of these women, only 1 percent filed official complaints with authorities. HRW said women in violent marriages have little legal recourse because the options available "both require evidence of extreme violence and impose a high evidentiary burden on the victim."

In October, HRW claimed that the PA had failed to stop violence [HRW report] against civilians in its territories and called for immediate action against perpetrators. AP has more.