A domestic dispute in a small apartment near Madrid turned violent on January 11, 2022, when Lobna Hemid’s husband attacked her with a broken piece of a wooden shoe rack. The incident, witnessed by their four children, escalated as he verbally abused her with derogatory terms.
Following the altercation, Ms. Hemid reported the abuse to the police, who used an algorithm called VioGén to assess the risk of further violence. Despite the software indicating low risk, tragedy struck seven weeks later when her husband fatally stabbed her before taking his own life.
Spain’s reliance on VioGén to address gender violence has had mixed results, with cases of miscalculated risk leading to devastating outcomes. While the system has helped protect some women, others have fallen victim to repeated attacks due to inaccurate risk assessments.
The statistics reveal a concerning trend, with a significant number of women classified as low risk by VioGén experiencing subsequent harm. This highlights the algorithm’s shortcomings and the need for a more nuanced approach to addressing domestic violence.
Examining Risk Levels and Outcomes
Extreme
High
Medium
Low
Negligible
Source: Spanish General Council of the Judiciary Note: Data from 2010 to 2022. Data from 2016 to 2018 is unavailable. By Alice Fang
Despite its limitations, Spanish law enforcement continues to rely on VioGén for assessing and managing cases of gender violence, highlighting the complex interplay between technology and human decision-making.
2024-07-18 10:18:16
Original from www.nytimes.com