“We continue to see an increase in complaints and this should have a positive reading because it means confidence in the institutions.”
The Head of the Coordination Unit against Violence against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla, Laura Segura, gave a press conference this morning to report on the evolution of gender violence in the city during the first half of the year and on the use of the different resources and State services made available to victims.
However, the head of the unit also referred to the decrease in calls to 016. “We have to see how we have to continue to make women aware of this type of resource, although when we see that the complaints do become effective, the way to request help comes through the complaint, but it has been reduced in 016,” he said.
On the other hand, he has stressed the need to “continue explaining and raising awareness among citizens that we must break with the false myths that surround gender violence.”
In this regard, she has pointed out that a clear fact is the granting of residence and work to victims of gender violence. “We have four residence and work concessions for foreign victims of gender-based violence and this is very important to highlight,” she said, given that “talking about what is the reality of the violence that, in our city, women victims of gender-based violence can be any woman and that it is important to send that message and, above all, to the aggressors that they are alone and that the condemnation has to come from the whole society.”
Segura has acknowledged that it is necessary to continue making this call for victims to have confidence in the system, given that 25% of women who suffer from gender violence are the ones who are denouncing it. “At 75% we have to reach the victims through specialized social services, through the networks that accompany and protect women such as the entities and organizations that work locally, through the women’s center that is the specialized social service for victims and let them know that the most important thing is the end of violence with or without complaint.”
The Head of the Unit stressed that the complaint is important, since we managed to ensure that the crime was prosecuted and the victims were repaired but, above all, she made that call so that the violence could be eliminated and the victims could be prepared so that they could report and be accompanied at all times during the process.
Increase in complaints in the first quarter
Segura has detailed that during the first quarter of 2025, 75 complaints of gender violence were registered, which represents an increase of 12% compared to the same period of the previous year (67 complaints in 2024). As for the second quarter, the data are still awaiting updating. However, this year’s monthly breakdown shows the following evolution: 29 complaints in January, 21 in February, 25 in March, 21 in April, 22 in May, 25 in June and 18 in July.
Decrease in calls to 016
With regard to the telephone service 016 for information and legal advice, since its launch in September 2007 and until 30 June 2025, 2,206 relevant calls have been received in Melilla. Of these, 57 occurred in the first half of 2025, compared to 68 calls in the same period of the previous year, reflecting a decrease of 16%.
In detail, 33 calls occurred in the first quarter of this year, which represents a 27.2% drop compared to the same period of 2024 (42 calls). In the second quarter, 24 calls were received, which represents a 40% decrease compared to the 35 registered in the second quarter of 2024.
The analysis of the caller profile reveals that 73.6% of the calls were made by the users themselves (42), 22.8% by relatives or close associates (13) and 3.5% by other people (2). For months, calls to 016 were distributed as follows: 16 in January, 3 in February, 14 in March, 9 in April, 4 in May and 11 in June.
Since March 2021, 016 has also dealt with other forms of violence against women, such as sexual violence in the context of the couple. Adding other consultation channels (WhatsApp, email and chat), the total number of relevant consultations in Melilla reaches 2,246 since its implementation, of which 63 correspond to this 2025.
ATENPRO and police protection
The number of users of the ATENPRO service (telephone care and protection for victims of gender violence) has remained relatively stable: 15 in January, 17 in February and March, 19 in April, 21 in May, 18 in May and 17 in June.
As for the active cases in the VioGén system, the evolution during the semester has been as follows: 240 in January, 237 in February, 237 in March, 237 in April, 238 in May and 235 in June. Of these 235 cases in June, there are also 1 supervised case and 2,391 inactivated cases since 2007, bringing the total number to 2,627 cases and 2,421 victims in the city since that year.
Currently, there are 236 active cases, of which 116 are of unappreciated risk, 104 of low risk, 14 of medium risk, 1 of high risk and none of extreme risk. In addition, 156 of the active cases include minors, of whom 26 are in a vulnerable situation. There are 13 cases considered to be of special relevance.
The number of women with police protection, that is, with active cases and an appreciable level of risk, has remained in similar figures throughout the semester: 127 in January, 125 in February, 120 in March, 128 in April, 118 in May and 119 in June.
According to the data of the General Council of the Judiciary as of March 31, 26 protection orders have been initiated in Melilla, of which 25 have been adopted and 1 denied.
Regarding the enforcement of sentences for gender violence, it has been observed that the number of inmates in prison for these crimes was 18 in January, 14 in the months of February to May and 19 in June.
With regard to temporary residence and work permits for foreign women victims of gender violence, three permits were granted in the first quarter, and one more in May, bringing the total to 4 so far this year.
No fatalities since 2016 in Melilla
Segura wanted to underline that Melilla has not registered any fatalities due to gender violence since 2016. In total, 5 women have been killed in the city since 2005.
At the national level, official data account for 1,317 women killed by their partners or ex-partners since there are records. So far in 2025, there have been 23 murders and 12 minors have been orphaned, adding up to 481 orphans since 2013. In addition, 3 minors have been killed this year for vicarious violence, reaching a total of 62 since 2013.
To conclude, Laura Segura has called on Melillense society to be actively involved in the detection and prevention of gender violence. “The role of environments is not limited to filing a complaint. It goes much further. It is essential to accompany the victims, listen and give the victims the support they need,” he said.
“It is also a way to show the aggressors that they are alone, because the victims have the support of all their environments, of the whole society,” he said.
“It is important that neighbors, friends, professionals with whom the victim interacts and also the aggressor know that the door is always going to be kept open, so that the victims do not feel shame or guilt when they take the step of seeking help,” he stressed, since “a small step for each and every one of us can be decisive in the lives of many women.”