Qualitative research examines gender violence law's impact on Romani criminality discourse, suggesting transformative justice pathways for Romani women.
While Spain has been drawing worldwide attention for its feminist mobilizations in the past years, the movement is currently tearing itself apart on whether a punitive response to gender violence aligns with its values. Based on qualitative research in Madrid's gender violence institutions, I discuss the primacy given to prosecution in the implementation of Spain's internationally acclaimed “gender violence law” and how it interacts with the racist trope of “Romani criminality” in practitioners’ discourses. I show that it manifests in the popular culture myth of Romani men hurting women; strong suspicions towards Romani women summoned at court; and a rejection of Romani resolution process mechanisms. I conclude that Romani women's alternative means of finding safety deserve better consideration for their transformative justice potential.
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Sarah Werner Boada (2025) studied this question.
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