Interior will review the criteria for inactivating open cases in the VioGén System against gender violence

Equality will join the Viogén System Evaluation Table to analyze sexist violence monthly and launch a campaign

The Ministry of the Interior will review the criteria for inactivating open cases in the Comprehensive Monitoring System in cases of Gender Violence (VioGén System) "to eliminate the margin of risk that this action may entail for the attacked woman" given the spike of sexist murders in 2023, with 55 murdered so far this year, six more than in all of 2022.

This was announced by the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, at a press conference after the meeting he held this Thursday with the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, and with the entire VioGén team, to address the protection of victims. of gender violence. This meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior took place after five victims were allegedly murdered by sexist violence this past week.

Grande-Marlaska has stressed that the Ministry of the Interior will continue working to "improve" and "reinforce" the VioGén system. Likewise, she has expressed her "deep frustration every time a sexist murder occurs" and has reported that 13 of the 55 victims in 2023 with an open case in the VioGén system, 5 of them were active and 8 inactive. "The Viogén system is a system in continuous evaluation, in continuous advancement," she highlighted, adding that it is a model that "is not infallible."

For this reason, the minister has explained the scope and operation of the surveillance system for victims of gender violence and has indicated that there are currently more than 82,000 active files, more than 50,000 women with protection and more than 43,500 public servants trained to care for them.

Likewise, the head of the Interior portfolio has asked for the collaboration of the entire society to report episodes of sexist violence, since 41 of the women allegedly murdered for this reason had no prior complaint and in 22 of the cases their environment was aware. of the existence of abuse within the partner or ex-partner.

"The complaint allows us to open the protective umbrella of the Spanish State, because it is a problem that affects our system of coexistence, and the VioGén system saves lives," he highlighted, adding that the fight against gender violence is " a hallmark and a priority axis" of the Government's political agenda.

After this meeting, it was also announced that Igualdad will join the VioGén System Evaluation Table to analyze cases of sexist violence on a monthly basis. Likewise, it will "immediately" carry out an awareness campaign focused on the victims' environment to be "proactive" and "report."

"I think it is important that Equality is incorporated into that table, that it knows first-hand and that there is also fluidity in terms of information and in terms of the measures that we can adopt. The collaboration and greasing of everything that is the framework , which is a lot," the minister assured.

In this sense, Redondo stressed that this Thursday's meeting has been "fruitful, very profitable and necessary." In addition to the incorporation of Equality in the Evaluation Table of the VioGén System, the minister has reported that an awareness campaign will be carried out focused on the victims' environment, which, in her opinion, can help and "is essential."

"PROACTIVITY" TO THE CC.AA

On the other hand, it has also asked that the Autonomous Communities be "proactive" and, therefore, has requested that the 24-hour crisis centers be active in all Spanish provinces as of December 31, 2024.

"We are going to strive to ensure that all resources are actually available, implemented and, ultimately, that collaboration and cooperation that is essential for what is an enormous challenge, a societal challenge, a Government challenge and, therefore, Of course, a State challenge, which is to minimize the impact because I wish we could solve the problem, I wish we could say that this is going to end, but, of course, what we can do is minimize it," Redondo pointed out.

The number of women murdered by gender violence in Spain amounts to 55 in 2023 and 1,237 since 2003, when this data began to be collected. These are six more fatalities than in all of 2022. The latest confirmation corresponds to an 80-year-old victim allegedly murdered by her spouse in A Coruña on December 1.