Spain's interior minister has denounced a "horrific" rise in gender-based violence after nine women were killed across Europe in December.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska said during a news conference on Thursday that the “series of horrific crimes we have suffered this month” is “deeply frustrating” and should serve as a “wake-up call”.

He urged people to report any suspicion of gender-based violence. Police across the country have been ordered to “step up” their vigilance, the minister said. “This is not a private matter as has been understood in the past,” he said. “We cannot go back to that idea, it is a social tragedy that we must face as a society.”

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also said in a tweet that Spain suffered “a terrible setback in gender-based violence cases” this month. “Ending gender-based violence affects us all. It is important to act together as a society to stop this scourge.”

In the latest incident of violence, a 32-year-old pregnant woman was stabbed to death by her former partner in front of her two teenage children in downtown Escalona on Wednesday. It was due within days. Her death brings the number of women killed due to gender-based violence this year to 48.

The deadliest year for gender-based violence in Spain was 2008 with 76 deaths. The total number of such killings since the government started counting in 2003 is now 1,181.

France is another European country with the highest rate of femicides. Hundreds of women have been killed by current or former partners in France in recent years, sparking national outrage. It is estimated that every three days a woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner.

Some European countries have been recorded as the worst violators of women’s rights.