Focused Deterrence Strategy for Reducing Domestic Violence

Funded by the European Union, LAB-CO works alongside security and justice institutions to implement the Focused Deterrence Strategy aimed at reducing domestic violence. The model was launched in February 2025 in the municipalities of Zacatecas and Guadalupe, in the state of Zacatecas, and was expanded in 2026 to the municipality of Benito Juárez, in Quintana Roo.

Objectives:

• Eradicate femicides linked to domestic violence.
• Sustainably reduce recidivism and the escalation of domestic violence.
• Improve the safety and well-being of women who are victims of domestic violence.

How it works:

The Strategy recognizes that violence is not evenly distributed and that a small group of offenders accounts for the most serious cases. It therefore identifies the level of risk associated with each case and provides a differentiated response. The model operates through three steps:

• Case detection through emergency calls, police reports, complaints, and health and victim support services.
• Case registration, whereby the State Attorney General’s Office and police forces collect the information required to follow up on each case and classify the level of risk as critical or non-critical.
• Response based on the level of risk. In cases of critical risk, the offender is immediately neutralized and enhanced protection is provided to the victim. In cases of non-critical risk, deterrent communication is used, the offender is referred to the appropriate services, and the victim receives follow-up support.

This approach is made possible through collaboration among the State Attorney General’s Office, the State and Municipal Public Security Secretariats, the State Health Secretariat, and the State Secretariat for Women.

Results:

One year after its implementation in the state of Zacatecas, the Strategy has achieved the following results:

• None of the cases addressed through the Strategy resulted in femicide. The Strategy identified and addressed 12 cases involving a risk of femicide. In all cases, institutional intervention helped protect the victims before the violence escalated.
• Recidivism decreased more than fivefold. The rate fell from 5.7% in 2024 to less than 1% between May 2025 and May 2026. Only four repeat offenders were identified among the 457 offenders in the registry.
• Domestic violence decreased for the first time in four years. In 2025, Zacatecas and Guadalupe recorded their lowest levels of domestic violence since 2022.

These results demonstrate that timely and coordinated intervention can contain domestic violence and prevent its escalation.

Publications

Policy Brief English version

Policy Brief Spanish version