Virginia Barcones urges the nightlife sector of Valladolid to become safe spaces for women and free of sexual assault

• The Government delegate in Castilla y León has inaugurated the training sessions aimed at the hotel and catering sector that will be replicated in the rest of the provinces of the Community and that are part of the ‘Ser Libre’ campaign. Be Alive’

November 6, 2023.- The delegate of the Government in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, has inaugurated this Monday in Valladolid the 'Training Day with Hotel and Night Leisure' framed in the awareness campaign against gender violence 'Ser libre. Be Alive’. Some days that will be replicated over the next few weeks in the different provinces of Castilla y León and that aim to prevent, deter and eradicate any sexist behavior in the nightlife of Valladolid.

Barcones has pointed out that the Government Delegation of Castilla y León understands “key” to have the collaboration and involvement of those who own, manage, direct or work in nightlife spaces, areas of influence that bring together preferential young people, to “give a frontal response of rejection to any act of sexual violence”.

The different forms of sexual violence that women can suffer throughout the night range from constant and annoying looks to sexual assault with the use of force, through comments, physical approach without consent, unwanted touching or cornering.

“Unfortunately, nightlife venues, as well as spaces designed for fun, have become scenes of sexist aggression of varying severity. It is necessary to work to ensure safe spaces during the nights for women and ensure that women can enjoy the night without being exposed to a risk of sexual assault,” said Barcones.

The inauguration of the conference, in which more than twenty hoteliers and those responsible for the security of leisure facilities participated, counted on the provincial chief commissioner of the National Police in Valladolid, Francisco Javier Oterino; the chief colonel of the Civil Guard in Valladolid, Andrés Manuel Velarde; as well as the manager of the Association of Entrepreneurs of Valladolid, María José de la Calle and the spokesman of the Association More than Bars of Valladolid, Juan José García.

The coordinator of the Units against Violence against Women of the Government subdelegations, Jessica Martínez, and the head of this unit in the subdelegation of the Government of Valladolid, Eduardo Gutiérrez, as well as the head of Citizen Participation of the National Police of Valladolid, the inspector Clara del Rey González, and the head of Section of the Command of the Civil Guard of Valladolid, Lieutenant Ramón Serra Maestre, have also participated.

IN FIGURES

So far this year, Castilla y León has already managed more than 2,800 calls to 060 and by 2022 it was closed with a total of 5,665 complaints, 23% corresponding to the province of Valladolid, and 1,678 protection orders. At this point, Barcones recalled that only one in 10 assaults is reported, being the denunciation the starting point to stop this type of crime.

Likewise, in the first quarter of the year, a total of 269 crimes against sexual freedom have been registered in our Community, which closed 2022 with 535. Only in Valladolid from January to June we have to talk about 56.

According to the figures provided by the Civil Guard, so far this year in the province of Valladolid a total of 59 actions have been carried out for injuries in nightlife environments, more than 600 complaints have been registered related to citizen security, mainly related to drug trafficking and 17 facts have been registered related to sexual assaults.

For its part, the National Police has carried out a total of 31 actions in the field of citizen security, mainly related to weapons and drugs, in Medina del Campo and more than 300 in Valladolid. In addition, in relation to sexual assaults, five have been documented in nightlife settings and 88 actions have been carried out with the result of serious and/or minor injuries.

VIOLET DOTS

Through these days, the aim is to publicize the means available to the Government Delegation and the Subdelegation of the Government in Valladolid to combat gender violence, such as the Civil Guard, the National Police and the Units Against Violence against Women.

A meeting that seeks to explain how with a victim of male violence in a place of leisure from the time the aggression occurs until it is attended by professionals. It would also explain how to act with the alleged aggressor until the arrival of the State Security Forces and Corps.

“We want these days to become a turning point for public awareness and the unification of protocols of preventive action, deterrence and effective intervention against cases of sexual assault that can be registered in the leisure venues of Valladolid,” said Barcones.

Also, during the meeting, a sticker with the distinctive Violet Dot was delivered for placement in hotel establishments with a double objective: to deter potential aggressors and send a security message to women.

‘BE FREE. BE ALIVE’

The ‘Be Free’ campaign. Among its objectives is to raise society’s awareness of gender-based violence, to prevent, as well as to identify and arrest the perpetrators of crimes through the presence of the State Security Forces and Bodies, and, finally, to offer victims comprehensive care.

‘Be Free. Estar Viva’ has been present in the main musical festivals that during the summer have toured Castilla y León, such as the Sonorama Ribera de Aranda de Duero, the Enclave de Agua de Soria, the 40 SummerLive of Simancas, the Ebrofest of Miranda de Ebro or the Monoloco in León.

An essential element of this work of awareness is the Violeta Point, a physical space with informative guides, informative materials and identified people who are prepared in the fight against male violence. It is an instrument promoted by the Government of Spain to involve the whole of society in the fight against male violence and to spread, in a massive way, the information necessary to know how to act in a case of violence against women.

Public policies against male violence now have another approach since they place this scourge as a structural problem that requires the involvement of the whole of society to put an end to it. The implication that is intended to be achieved finds its beacon in those violet points that remember in all the multitudinous events that violence against women by the fact of being committed by men is a problem that must be combated.