The legislative agenda of the coalition government in our country continues its course, despite the fact that the right-wing parties are trying to make it go unnoticed by means of noise, shouting and all kinds of outbursts. Two weeks ago, the Bureau of the Congress of Deputies agreed to process the Organic Law Project for Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence. We thus assume the international treaties ratified by Spain in the comprehensive protection of minors, and we attend to the right of children and adolescents not to be subjected to any form of violence.
The protection of minors and the fight against violence in childhood is an imperative of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Spanish Constitution and, at the same time, a central aspect when it comes to guaranteeing the healthy development of our society. For this reason, for years we progressives have been fully aware of the need to approve a comprehensive law on violence against children, a law that, on the other hand, must be analogous in its normative scope to that approved in the framework of gender violence, nothing less.
Violence and mistreatment suffered by children and adolescents can cause injuries that can lead to disability, physical health problems, learning difficulties including performance problems at school and at work, psychological and emotional consequences, mental health problems, and behaviors that are harmful to health. Therefore, we intend to ensure and promote respect for their human dignity and physical and psychological integrity, by preventing all forms of violence.
Unfortunately, violence against minors is an abominable and widespread reality. On numerous occasions it can go unnoticed due to the intimacy of the areas in which it takes place, such as the family and school spheres, environments in which most of the incidents occur when they should be frameworks of security and personal development for children and adolescents. That is why we must promote all the necessary measures to protect them against any form of violence, harm, physical or mental abuse, neglect or negligence, mistreatment or exploitation.
In addition, it is common for many variables to converge in these violence scenarios, which means that any legislative approach to the issue requires a broad multidisciplinary approach. Hence, this law aims to combat violence against children and adolescents from a comprehensive approach and from a didactic perspective, giving priority to prevention, socialization and education, both among minors and among families and civil society itself. We are going to protect them, detect episodes of violence early, assist them, reinstate violated rights and recover victims.
Fco. Manuel Fajardo Palarea, PSOE senator for Lanzarote and La Graciosa.