Lanzarote will have a 24-hour center to assist victims of sexual violence, as announced this Monday by the Deputy Minister of Equality and Diversity of the Government of the Canary Islands, Cristina Arceo. A center to "facilitate psychological, legal and social care for victims, family members and people in the environment", she highlighted. It will also be possible to "provide accompaniment" and they will offer "telephone, telematic and face-to-face information, every day of the year", she added.
"The procedures for the purchase of the properties that will allow the opening of the center are quite advanced", the Deputy Minister announced. Although it should be noted that "we need more time for its complete execution", she revealed.
The Deputy Minister alluded to the "importance" of these centers to advise the victim's environment because "even if they love them, they don't always know how to support them in the best way because they also have false beliefs and myths about sexual violence and sometimes they also feel guilty for not having prevented it and need psychological support".
Prevention and comprehensive and interdisciplinary care in the context of sexual violence are some of the points of the work that will be developed in the center. In addition, "accompaniment will be provided to all victims without the need for a complaint", or without taking into account "when they have suffered sexual violence, whether in the past or present", Arceo adds.
"It is essential that there are specific centers, it is very difficult for women to report due to social pressure, shame and feelings of guilt"
Although there is already a network of resources to provide immediate care to any victim of any type of gender violence in the Canary Islands, it is essential that "specific centers exist", she wanted to make clear. The main reason is based on the fact that these are types of violence that "women find it very difficult to report due to social pressure, shame and feelings of guilt", the Deputy Minister pointed out. Likewise, she highlighted the importance of them remaining open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. "Experience tells us that if a survivor has to wait several hours for the office to open, perhaps by then she will change her mind, they must be attended to when they take the step or when they can call, which is sometimes when their partner or family is not there or will not hear them".
The other four centers that will also open will be available on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and La Palma.