Catalonia creates working group to tackle sexual violence against children and adolescents

The government has agreed to create a working group made up of independent experts to examine how to prevent and combat sexual violence affecting children and adolescents. 

The Catalan executive has taken the decision after several incidents of violent sexual behavior against minors were reported in recent months, many of which were also allegedly perpetrated by minors, including children under 14, the age of criminal responsibility. 

The new body will draw up a report with recommendations that the DGAIA (General Directorate of Child and Adolescent Care) will use to update and reinforce its 'Educating in Responsibility' program, aimed at under-14s who have committed a crime.  

In addition, twelve new Barnahus children's centers will be opened throughout Catalonia, along with 12 corresponding territorial commissions to address the issue. 

Working group members 

The working group will be made up of up to ten people recognized for their work in the fields of child protection, law, education and sexual violence. 

It will be in place for three months under the auspices of the Department of Social Rights, government spokesperson Patrícia Plaja explained on Tuesday.  

Some of the group's members include Vicki Bernadet, founder and president of the Vicki Bernadet Foundation, a benchmark in the fight against child sexual abuse; Eduard Vallory, president of CATESCO (Catalonia's former UNESCO Center); professors in neuroeducation, David Bueno and Anna Forés; lawyer Carla Vall, an expert in criminal law and gender, in particular gender-based violence; sexologist Raquel Tulleuda; Mossos d'Esquadra police spokesperson Montserrat Escudé, and the head of reparation and victim support at the justice department, Lidia Serratusell. 

'Educating in Responsibility' program 

In accordance with the recommendations of the working group, the DGAIA is to urgently update and reinforce its 'Educating in Responsibility' program, which is focused on children under 14, the age of criminal responsibility, and works on prevention, monitoring, control and rehabilitation. 

Catalonia implemented this socio-educational intervention program in 2012 and it remains one of the few places in Spain with an initiative to provide specialized care for people under 14 who exhibit criminal behavior.

"It is a tool that aims to assess the personal situation of these children and adolescents and carry out an educational, restorative, transformative and therapeutic intervention that holds offenders accountable, prevents reoffending and facilitates the reparation of victims," Plaja explained. 

Last year, 1,024 under 14s took park in the program, 103 for acts against sexual freedom. 

Barnahus Strategy 

The government will also speed up its Barnahus (from the Icelandic for "children's house") Strategy , creating twelve new children's centers in addition to the one already operating in Tarragona. Complementary territorial commissions will be set up in the municipalities where the new Barnahus will be located: Tortosa, Vilanova i la Geltrú, El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Badalona, Granollers, Mataró, Terrassa, Manresa, Lleida, Seu d'Urgell and Girona.

Gang rapes 

Police have investigated eight gang rapes involving minors in Badalona alone over the course of the past year. 

The perpetrators included an 18-year-old and 20 minors, of which 13 were under the age of criminal responsibility.