Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
Paywall free

CRIME

What to do if you’re in an abusive relationship in Spain

Aside from physical violence, emotional abuse, intimidation, stalking and deprivation of freedom are also forms of violence. What steps can you take if you're in an abusive relationship in Spain?

Published: 26 November 2021 12:58 CET
Updated: 25 November 2022 11:44 CET
Love shouldn't hurt abusive relationship spain
If you've been a victim of gender violence in Spain, here are the steps you can take. Photo: Sydney Sims/Unsplash

Men’s violence against women is one of the biggest crime and societal problems in Spain. But combating it isn’t easy, not least because it often happens behind closed doors.

According to the Spanish government, 38 women have been murdered in 2022, adding to a total of 1,171 since 2003.

And they’re not the only victims as 26 minors have become orphans as a result this year, 360 over the past decade. A survey by Spain’s Ministry of Equality estimates that 1.7 million children in Spain witness gender violence at home. Forty-eight children have also been murdered in the last ten years by their mothers’ partners or ex-partners.

November 25th marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a day which usually sees thousands of protesters march through the streets of Madrid, Barcelona and other cities in Spain demanding “urgent and firm action” to combat men’s violence against women.

A staggering 78 percent of women over the age of 16 who have been victims of physical violence don’t report it to the police.

If you’ve been a victim of gender violence, here are the steps you can take.

What should I do if I’m in an emergency?

Firstly, if you are in an emergency situation you can contact the police and emergency services at the following numbers:

Emergency services: 112

Policía Nacional (National Police Corps): 091

Guardia Civil (Civil Guard): 062

Where can I seek help and advice?

If you are not sure what kind of help you need, the first thing to do if you are in an abusive relationship is call the free confidential helpline 016, a public service available 24/7 where you can speak to professionals with guaranteed confidentiality in 53 different languages. You can also email [email protected] or WhatsApp 600 000 016. 

The service is provided by the government’s committee against gender violence (Delegación del Gobierno contra la Violencia de Género), which has a dedicated website with information and resources. 

You can also get free legal advice and information by calling 061.

If you are a minor and you think family member may be a victim of gender violence you can call ANAR (Ayuda a niños y adolescentes en riesgo), on 900 20 20 10.

The Equality Ministry’s WRAP website (web de recursos de apoyo y prevención ante casos de violencia de género), has a search tool for finding all the NGOs, women’s associations, police stations and courts closest to you.

For a guide of your rights as a victim of gender violence in Spain, the Ministry also provides a document in several languages including English, HERE.

‘Only yes means yes’: Spain moves to tighten consent laws against rape

What happens when I report someone to the police?

Making a formal complaint (denuncia) for gender violence is considered a significant threat to safety and should therefore result in the immediate detention of the aggressor.

The detention can last up to 72 hours until a formal judicial deposition is made. After this period, the judge can then either let the accused go or issue a restraining order. Breaking the restraining order will result in a new complaint with more serious legal consequences.

If you live with your aggressor, the restraining order means they will not be able to return to the shared home and will be deprived of the custody of any children you have together. He will not be able to claim joint custody until a criminal trial ruling is issued, which can take several years.

It will also result in the loss of the right to obtain public subsidies, and they will be included in the Central Registry of Abusers.

Can I get financial support?

The Comprehensive Law of Protection Measures against Gender Violence (Ley Integral de Medidas de Protección contra la Violencia de Généro) includes financial support for women who have been victims of gender violence.

Women who are not able to find a job or participate in training courses can have access to financial support provided in the form of a single payment, representing the equivalent of six months of unemployment benefits.

These benefits are currently managed by the different autonomous communities.

Manual widget for ML (class=”ml-manual-widget-container”)
 
How do I ask for help without my abuser knowing?
 
If you want to call for help without attracting the attention of your abuser, you can make the hand gesture indicated in the photo below on a video call, so the person you a talking to can call for help. 
 
The 016 helpline, as indicated below, doesn’t leave a trace on your phone so you can call without worrying about it appearing on your call history.
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

SPANISH TRADITIONS

Everything you need to know about Mother’s Day in Spain

Here's how and when in May Mother's Day is celebrated in Spain, and why it owes its roots to religion and a Valencian poet.

Published: 3 May 2024 13:37 CEST
Everything you need to know about Mother's Day in Spain

This year, Mother’s Day (El Día de la Madre) is celebrated in Spain on Sunday May 5th. It’s always celebrated on the first Sunday of the month of May.

On this day, young children in Spain give their mothers manualidades (crafts) they’ve made at school as a token of their love.

Husbands and older sons and daughters may buy their wives/mothers a present to say thanks for all that they do as matriarchs, which usually takes the form of a detalle (smaller present than for a birthday or Christmas), and will come accompanied by a message such as te quiero, mamá (I love you, mum).

According to experiences website Aladinia, the average Spaniards spends €65 on gifts on Mother’s Day. 

Other mums may send out text messages to wish each other ¡Feliz Día de la Madre! (Happy Mother’s Day!).

As it’s always celebrated on a Sunday, many shops will be closed but you can expect plenty of restaurants to be open for lunch and perhaps dinner. 

Depending where you’re from, the first Sunday of May may or may not be when you’re used to celebrating Mother’s Day in your home country.

Around the world over 100 countries celebrate Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday, more on the difference below) – 77 in May, 13 in March, and 14 at other times during the year.

Some countries, like the UK, celebrate Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday during Lent, meaning that the date changes each year. This is because Mothering Sunday was originally a Christian holiday in some European countries.

READ ALSO: How a female teacher campaigned for Spain to have a Father’s Day

Spain, however, celebrates Mother’s Day on the first Sunday in May each year, meaning that it doesn’t have a fixed date either. But it wasn’t always like that.

The history of Mother’s Day in Spain

The first Mother’s Day in Spain was celebrated in Madrid all the way back on October 4th, 1926. Much of the impetus for establishing a day to celebrate mothers came, rather fittingly, from a poet.

Julio Menéndez García, a Valencian poet and public servant, pushed for a special day to celebrate mothers. Spanish newspaper La Libertad published a short section on Garcìa’s efforts in October 1925:

“A Levantine poet, Julio Menéndez García, has had the happy initiative that in Spain and in the Spanish-speaking nations a day should be consecrated to extol the love of mothers. The establishment of Mother’s Day is something tender and sympathetic, which deserves to be welcomed by governments, the press and public opinion, as it involves the highest tribute to women in their most august representation.”

After the Civil War, the church moved the date to December 8th to coincide with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a key holiday among Catholics. 

Civil War-era poster urging Madrid mothers to leave the Spanish capital with their children before the arrival of Franco’s troops. (Photo by AFP)

But it wasn’t until 1965 that Mother’s Day was celebrated in May in Spain. The reason for this change of date was to separate the celebrations (both were considered important enough to have their own day) but also the influence of other countries, namely the United States.

The campaign for a Mother’s Day was originally started by Anna Jarvis, an American wanting to honour her mother, in 1908. By 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson officially signed it into law, establishing a May date. 

However, for many years in Spain department store El Corte Inglés maintained the date of 8th December, meaning that Spain Mother’s Day was celebrated twice a year for a while, commercially speaking at least.

In 1936 a local council in Breña Baja, on the Canary island of La Palma, became the first in Spain to move Mother’s Day to May.

However, in 1965 the church authorities officially decided to move Mother’s Day to May, a month consecrated to the Virgin Mary. May is also the month of female gods in the classical world, and in Catholicism is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Interestingly, Jarvis herself later campaigned against the day, arguing it had become overly commercialised, something Spaniards often bemoan about other imported American customs like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. 

READ ALSO: How a female teacher campaigned for Spain to have a Father’s Day

SHOW COMMENTS