Urgent improvements to protection for gender violencegender violence Violence a woman suffers from a current or former partner because she is a woman. victims

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. Bar associations and court clerk associations must urgently appoint court-appointed lawyers and court clerks for victims of gender violence. The victim's lawyer may also represent her in the proceedings until she formally joins them, and the victim may join as a private prosecutor at any point in the proceedings.
2. The ways to prove that someone is a victim of gender violence are expanded. A conviction, protection order or public prosecutor's report is no longer the only option: reports from social services, specialized services or shelters also count.
3. The financial aid under Article 27, equal to six months of unemployment benefits (twelve if the victim has a certified disability of 33 percent or more), becomes compatible with other regional or local aid granted for the same situation.
4. City councils will have as their own responsibility actions promoting equality between men and women and fighting gender violence.
5. If one parent is under criminal investigation for attacking the other parent or the children, the victim's consent alone is enough for minor children to receive psychological care, without both parents agreeing. Children over sixteen must give their own express consent.
6. Criteria are set for distributing State Pact funds on gender violence among city councils: a fixed amount per municipality (689 euros in 2018) plus 0.18 euros per resident, with the remainder shared among municipalities in the Comprehensive Monitoring System.

Who it affects

• Victims of gender violence: They will get faster legal assistance, may join proceedings as a private prosecutor at any time, and will have more ways to prove their situation to access rights and aid.
• City councils: They now have fighting gender violence as their own responsibility and receive funds for eradication programs.
• Children of victims: They can receive psychological care with one parent's consent when the other is under investigation for violence.
• Bar associations and court clerk associations: They must urgently appoint professionals to assist victims free of charge.

Words worth knowing

Personarse

To formally appear in a court case as a party, for example as a private prosecutor.

Procurador o procuradora

A Spanish court clerk who formally represents a person in court, alongside the lawyer.

Medida cautelar

A provisional court decision protecting someone while the case is resolved, such as a restraining order.

Subsidio por desempleo

Public unemployment benefit paid to people who are out of work.

gender violence

Violence a woman suffers from a current or former partner because she is a woman.

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