The councilthrough the Insular Institute of Social and Socio-health Care (IASS) – chaired by the Minister of Social Action, Marián Franquet –, and the delegated prosecutor of Gender Violence in Santa Cruz de TenerifeJosé Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, have met to coordinate care processes for victims of sexist violence and take stock of their situation.
Franquet highlighted the need for specialized social, psychological, legal and educational resources totend to these women “which have sequels that are not easy to overcome.” That is why, he indicates, “we have to put all the necessary efforts to get them to overcome them.” In addition, he emphasized the need to have qualified professionals to treat those who, in many cases, live with their abuser.
The Gender Violence Unit The IASS offers its services in pursuit of four specific objectives: the planning, coordination and supervision of care centers and services; provision of services and management of support, accommodation and reception resources; the legal, economic and technical assistance and cooperation of the services and centers that make up the system, and the provision of specialized comprehensive care social services. Only in 2021, the Insular Service of Specialized Attention for Victims of Gender Violence of Tenerife served 4,516 women and 1,243 minors.
During their meeting, the Social Action counselor and the prosecutor toured the resources for care for victims since they call 112 and alert of their situation. Specifically, they visited the Emergency Service for Assaulted Women (DEMA), the Women’s House and one of the supervised flats. The same itinerary of a user victim of gender violence at the Institute.
The resource of emergency device provides immediate assistance to women who are in a situation of need after having suffered gender-based violence or imminent risk of suffering it. Last year alone it served 426.
Subsequently, the counselor and the prosecutor visited the Casa de la Mujer, which has been rehabilitated and has improved its facilities to offer a higher quality service. The women arrive at the shelters after being assessed. The maximum period of permanence in this resource is 12 months and there they are offered support, accompaniment and comprehensive intervention programs for recovery, personal strengthening and social, labor and educational integration. The IASS shelters provided services last year to 31 women and 55 minors.
Sheltered flats
Once this period has passed, the woman who has not managed to meet the objectives of the comprehensive intervention plan can access a supervised flat. This was the last stop for Marián Franquet and José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui. In 2021, these supervised flats they took in nine women and 16 minors.
Franquet emphasizes that «thanks to the rinsular ed of prevention and integral protection for the victims of gender violence, our users have a comprehensive accompaniment in each step of the process». The IASS has regional offices that allow it to offer more personalized advice and support to victims. It should be noted that in order to receive care at the IASS Gender Violence Unit, it is not necessary for victims to report their aggressor.
Appointment with Caritas
The IASS has started with Caritas the meetings to evaluate the attention to the groups of vulnerable people of the Island from the different social entities. The Institute and Caritas are immersed in three projects that have a grant of 550,000 euros. These are the Atarraya programs, to provide accommodation resources for reception and care; Base 25, to avoid situations of homelessness, and the Mobile Street Care Units (UMAC), a basic assistance service for those who live in them.
