The Civil Guard of Cantabria, within the framework of the permanent training to update and expand knowledge, has held this week a training and awareness day on hate crimes and discrimination, aimed at components of this Body.
The day, which took place at the headquarters of the Civil Guard in Santander, was inaugurated by the delegate of the Government of Spain in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, together with the president of the High Court of Justice of Cantabria, José Luis López del Moral; the Superior Prosecutor, Jesús Arteaga, and the Colonel Chief of the Civil Guard in this Autonomous Community, Antonio Orantos.
The delegate of the Government recalled that the Ministry of the Interior has recently approved the III Plan to Combat Hate Crimes, which contains 109 measures for the prevention and prosecution of incidents, crimes and hate speeches and the better protection of victims, and has highlighted the role of the Security Forces and Corps as guarantors of coexistence.
"The fight against hate crimes is not just a police or judicial issue, it is a collective responsibility. These crimes violate the principles of our democracy: equality, diversity and human dignity,” said Gómez de Diego.
On this day, the Superior Prosecutor and Provincial Delegate against hate crimes and discrimination, has given a paper on the criminal approach to hate crimes, to be addressed later, by the REDO Team of the Civil Guard of Cantabria, the police facet of investigation and instruction of proceedings.
Representatives of the associations ALEGA, ACCAS, AMICA, Fundación Secretariado Gitano and MPDL, who contribute the visions of their groups to this problem, have also participated in a round table.
"Listening to those who suffer hatred is essential. It is they who show us the blind spots of the system, the social barriers that still persist and the invisible wounds of violence that is often silenced by fear or mistrust. This day is also an act of active listening," said the delegate, who thanked these associations for their participation.
The Civil Guard of Cantabria, aware that hate crimes are severe expressions of discrimination and directly attack the fundamental values of coexistence, intends with this day a formative and awareness-raising impulse, attending them, among others, components of this Body destined in units of Citizen Security, Judicial Police, VIOGEN and ROCA Teams, as first knowledgeable and acting units on these crimes.
In 2024, 1,955 complaints for crimes of this type were filed in Spain and more than 1,800 people went to police stations and barracks last year to seek protection against attacks that directly affect their dignity. Among the most common causes are racism/xenophobia, sexual orientation, ideology and disability, while the most victimized age is between 26 and 40 years (33%).
Equipment REDO
The Civil Guard of Cantabria has a REDO Team (Response to Hate Crimes), created in May 2022 and which is constituted as an operational structure for the fight against these crimes and the behaviors that violate the legal rules on discrimination.
These REDO Teams provide a quick response to this type of behavior, facilitate their investigation, contribute to awareness raising, training, and periodically monitor the impact of this type of crime.