La Volera, an association from Granada working for equality and defending the rights of women, especially victims of sexual and gender-based violence, has launched an initiative to document cases of women who have suffered from the failure of anti-abuse bracelets. Through his testimonies, he intends to be able to file a class action before the Spanish Data Protection Agency, due to possible security errors in the processing of victims’ personal data. Its president, Maria Martín, told this newspaper: “They asked us for this, it is the cry of the victims who are still terrified by the problems of the devices.”
The association has published an “encrypted, secure and completely confidential” form to identify affected women, as well as an email address (juridicovolera@gmail.com), which can only be accessed by one of the women from the team of jurists who voluntarily advise La Volaera – an entity that does not receive public subsidies to maintain its independence – so that it can contact them. behind me. “We want to know first-hand about all the site errors, disconnections, incorrect alerts or loss of data that have occurred and are continuing to occur since the bid was changed on a service as sensitive and unavoidable as the one that protects the lives and safety of women from their abusers and sexual assaulters,” says Martin.
The association intends to file a collective complaint and study the feasibility of bringing a financial liability claim against the Department of Equality, which Martin points to as the main culprit of the problems and which does not forgive the apparent insensitivity towards the victims, minimizing the extent of the failings and the women’s concerns. This was announced in mid-November by the minister herself, Ana Redondo, during a visit to Granada, where she rebuked her, stressing that she was “an accomplice to the killers.”
“This is institutional torture, the uncertainty of daily life, the terror of losing the bracelet, because it cannot be taken off, and it is torture not only for them, but for the whole family,” says Martin, who draws attention to “groups of abusers on WhatsApp and Instagram who stay to see how the bracelets are manipulated. And the state is complicit.”
Through this initiative, La Volera also intends to clarify that the figures provided by the government regarding women affected by the rulings are lower than the total number of victims. “The government representative in Granada told us that there are only two women in the province, and we already have five documented cases and they are contacting us from more places,” says Martin. The president adds: “This is a cry from women who do not want to endure any more injustice,” and asks those affected and “anyone who knows a woman who may be in this situation, to encourage her to add her testimony.”
“Participation is essential to demand responsibilities and improve protection for all women,” emphasizes Martine, who recalls how La Volera does not hesitate to draw attention to all the failures and shortcomings of the protection system for victims of sexual violence.
So far this year 41 Women were killed by their partners or ex-partners. Since official statistics began in 2003, there are 1,336 slim.
Phone 016 helps victims of sexual violence, their families and those around them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in 53 different languages. The number is not registered on the phone bill, but the call must be deleted from the device. You can also contact via email 016-online@igualdad.gob.es And via WhatsApp on 016 000 600. Minors can call the ANAR Foundation phone number 900 20 20 10. If it is an emergency, you can call 112 or the phone numbers of the National Police (091) and the Civil Guard (062). If you cannot connect, you can use the ALERTCOPS application, through which an alert signal is sent to the police with geolocation.