The delegate of the Government in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, has highlighted the commitment of institutions and security forces in the protection of victims of gender violence in the community, where currently 1,426 women are registered in the VIOGEN System.
Of these, 931 have police protection measures, said Gómez de Diego in a speech prior to the Institutional and Police Coordination Table held today, in which representatives of about twenty institutions and social entities have participated, with profiles ranging from security forces to psychologists, social workers and doctors.
In Santander, 329 women are victims of gender-based violence, two of whom are at high risk, while 200 have police protection. “More and more women trust the system and file complaints, thanks to awareness campaigns and the improvement of action protocols,” said Gómez de Diego, who recalled, however, that there is still “a lot of reluctance” to report due to fear of reprisals or lack of knowledge of available resources.
Along with the delegate was the head of the Gender Violence Unit of the Government Delegation, Diana Mirones. Both have stressed the importance of victims knowing that they are “not alone” and that they have a network of “trained and specialized” professionals to support them and help them get out of the “spiral of violence.”
Gómez de Diego also recalled the service of telephone 016, which attended 1,337 inquiries in 2023 and has already been 927 so far this year, accessible by phone, WhatsApp and email, with attention in several languages.
In addition, he has highlighted the role of the Institutional and Police Coordination Tables, in which professionals from all levels of the Administration participate to provide an effective response to the victims of greater risk. In 2024, 30 tables have been held so far in the 29 Cantabrian municipalities adhered to the VIOGEN System and in others where it has been considered necessary to strengthen collaboration.
The delegate insisted on the importance of keeping professionals informed about new forms of gender violence, such as vicarious, digital and sexual violence, the latter being increased by the influence of pornography on relations between young people, and recalled the campaign “Let’s talk about pornography” of the Ministry of Equality. He has also highlighted the promotion of Violeta Points in pharmacies, the SEPE, the Aliens Office and multitudinous events.
Gómez de Diego has stressed that, for a comprehensive approach to assistance to victims of sexual violence, the 24-hour Crisis Center “Las Marzas” has been created, with an investment of 850,000 euros from the Recovery Plan, which offers comprehensive care to victims and is managed by the Government of Cantabria.
Finally, the delegate stressed the importance of fighting against “the negationist discourses of reality” and recalled that, since there are records, 1,284 women have been killed for gender violence in Spain, 40 of them so far this year. "We have work left. In the face of denial of reality, we must continue to fight this violence against women," he concluded.