New center for women and children who have suffered gender violence

A new Specialized Intervention Service (SIE in Catalan) has been launched in the city of Manresa, north of Barcelona, to attend women and their children who have been victims of gender-based violence.

The new center, which will cover the region of central Catalonia, will involve a team of experts in such fields as psychology, child psychology, social work, education, and law, to help victims of abuse recover from their experiences.

The services offered by SIE centers are free, with the women who are often referred there by public bodies or the police receiving treatment that is "tailored to their needs and those of their children," according to social affairs minister, Chakir el Homrani.

The minister, who was at the opening of the Manresa center, pointed out that one of the aims of the centers is to avoid "revictimization," and he also announced that 1.5 million euros would be provided to pay for 15 protected apartments in the area to shelter victims.

The new protected accommodation will bring the social affairs department's total number of temporary apartments to 28, providing safe shelter for at least 112 women and their children, while also allowing the department to clear the waiting list.

Meanwhile, the Catalan government has already said that it intends to spend another 3.2 million euros on opening another eight SIE centers, bringing the total number of such facilities to 16 around Catalonia.

According to government figures, the existing SIE centers attended to some 4,933 women in 2019, some 707 more than in the previous year, while also providing services to 1,144 children, some 188 more than in 2018.