Nueva Canarias has urged the Cabildo of Lanzarote to initiate the necessary planning for the creation of a 24-hour Crisis Center for victims of sexual assault, as it maintains is foreseen in the recently approved Law of Guarantees of Sexual Freedom.
NC points out that according to 2021 data from the National Institute of Statistics, 210 people between adults and minors “were convicted with a final judgment for crimes against sexual freedom”, and that in the first quarter of 2022 “42 final judgments for crimes of the same characteristics” had already been issued. “If we pay attention to the island of Lanzarote, this type of crime has increased by 25% so far this year according to data from the Ministry of the Interior”, the formation adds.
For the Canaristas, the Organic Law of Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom known as the law of “only yes is yes”, which was approved last week in the Congress of Deputies, is considered of “vital importance”.
“This law gives voice to sexual freedom by specifying that express consent will be taken into account when judging sexual crimes, in addition to including aspects related to vicarious violence and considering aggression, street harassment, sexual exploitation, corruption of minors, female genital mutilation or pornography as sexual violence”, points out the national secretary of Social Rights and Health of NC, Daisy Villalba.
From NC they point out that one of the aspects to highlight of this law is “the creation of 24-hour crisis centers that will have psychological, legal and social care for the victims”. “These centers have their reason for being to constitute a place where women feel safe, cared for and advised with the aim of providing immediate attention both by telephone and in person 24 hours a day, 365 days a year”, they explain from the formation.
Similarly, the rule requires the creation of at least “one center per province”. For Villalba this structure “is not ideal for the Canary Islands, since the island fact forces us to consider the reality of each island and plan according to their needs”.
“The increase in crimes against sexual freedom on the island of Lanzarote requires a 24-hour service that we currently do not have, with qualified technical personnel who are available in the most crucial moments for the victims, those first hours where emotional and psychological care is needed”, adds Villalba.
Thus, NC maintains that psychological help and care “must be continuous over time and with a follow-up to the victims so that they feel safe and in a place of trust”.
“More and more young people are victims of these aggressions. Many of them do not want to tell their families and find themselves in a situation of loneliness and fear that, if we had this type of Centers, they could have the confidence to do so”, adds Daisy Villalba, who sees that Lanzarote “must move towards an island structure of protection, attention and powerful prevention with a multidisciplinary team”.
