Clinical and public health implications of Supreme Court jurisprudence on gender-based violence: a qualitative analysis of Spanish rulings following organic law 10/2022.

BACKGROUND

Gender-based violence (GBV) represents a major public health and legal challenge, requiring coordinated responses between healthcare and judicial systems. The implementation of Organic Law 10/2022 has introduced significant changes in the legal framework, influencing both judicial interpretation and clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze interpretive patterns, evidentiary criteria, and jurisprudential trends in Spanish Supreme Court rulings on gender-based violence and habitual abuse, with particular attention to the role of healthcare professionals.

METHODS

A qualitative document analysis was conducted on Supreme Court rulings issued between 2023 and 2025. A total of 195 anonymized judgments were selected from the Aranzadi database. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, inductive categorization, and interpretative triangulation.

RESULTS

The victim's testimony has been consolidated as the principal form of evidence, provided it meets criteria of persistence, coherence, and credibility. The gender-based aggravating circumstance is applied within a contextual framework of domination. Sentence review under Organic Law 10/2022 follows the principle of favorable retroactivity, although interpretative inconsistencies persist. Habitual abuse is recognized as an autonomous offense requiring continuity, although its delimitation remains variable. Healthcare professionals play a key role in detection, documentation, and medico-legal support, contributing to evidentiary robustness.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight a progressive alignment between legal doctrine and healthcare practice. Strengthening clinical documentation, interdisciplinary coordination, and professional training is essential to improve both judicial outcomes and victim protection. This study underscores the critical role of healthcare professionals as evidentiary and preventive agents in gender-based violence.