The deputy delegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas; the mayor of Neda, Angel Alvariño, and the Lieutenant Colonel Interim Chief of the Command of the Civil Guard of A Coruña, Fernando Pedreira, signed this morning, in the Local Security Board, the protocol of accession to the Viogen system of protection of women victims of gender violence.
With Neda , there are already 17 municipalities in the province of A Coruña that join the Vioxen system, going from three to 17 in the last four years. Currently, as reported by the subdelegate, five other municipalities of the province are already processing their accession.
After signing the protocol, the subdelegate expressed her satisfaction with this “incorporation that is so necessary” and that represents “another step in the protection of victims” of the province. María Rivas took the opportunity to appeal to the municipalities that have not yet joined Viogen to do so and thus “continue to advance in the eradication of violence against women.”
The Viogén system allows the Local Police to have more information on all active cases of male violence in the municipality. In this way, the local agents themselves assume the follow-up and control of some of these cases, generally those that are considered to be of low or unappreciated risk level. In the most dangerous cases it is the Civil Guard that is responsible for the follow-up.
María Rivas stressed the importance of the municipalities joining this surveillance system because, as she explained, “the local administration is the closest to the citizens and, therefore, the local police in each municipality have a greater knowledge of women who are victims of male violence.” The subdelegate described this exchange of information between all administrations as “essential and vital” to be able to act “in a more coordinated and effective manner.”
Local institutional coordination bureau
In addition to the signing of the protocol, in Neda the previous steps have also been taken to establish the local Interinstitutional Coordination Board against Gender Violence.
At these tables are represented all the actors who work in gender violence and their function is to get an X-ray of what happens in the municipality. Prevention, detection and protection are the main objectives of this body together with the security forces and bodies.
“The work of these bureaux is essential to promote, within the different administrations and public services, policies and actions for the early detection of this social problem,” explained María Rivas. In addition, with these tables it is possible to give a more agile response to the victims.
Currently in the province of A Coruña there are 1,948 victims of gender violence with active cases in the province, a figure that demonstrates the importance of having these surveillance and protection systems
The deputy delegate conveyed to the mayor her gratitude for the effort made in the development of equality policies and the fight against gender violence, as evidenced in the measures adopted and which will culminate in the incorporation of the Local Police into the Viogen system.
María Rivas highlighted the institutional loyalty and collaboration of the City Council in this matter, which will allow to increase coordination and the fight against male violence itself, since it “will make it possible to achieve a better use of all available resources to prevent this type of violence at the local level.”
In this regard, the subdelegate also stressed that since 2018 Neda has received almost 10,000 euros from the funds of the State Pact against Gender Violence. These funds are intended for awareness-raising and prevention campaigns; care and information for victims; or actions aimed at the continued specialized training of local professionals in the field of equality between women and men.
María Rivas recalled that the Subdelegation of the Government is working "continuously" to promote the accession of municipalities of the province to the Viogen system and combat gender violence with all possible means.
"For this Government, fighting gender violence is a matter of the highest priority, in which we need the collaboration of all the parties involved, both of the administrations and of society in general," explained the subdelegate who took the opportunity to call on the citizens to work together and "get to overwhelm the victims to make them feel they are not alone."