The network of 24-hour Comprehensive Assistance Centres, operational since May 2025, has assisted 1,164 people in the Canary Islands. Councillor Candelaria Delgado presented the report in the regional Parliament.
The Government of the Canary Islands publicly released the balance of the first year of operation of the 24-hour Comprehensive Assistance Centres for victims of sexual violence this Thursday, a network that has assisted 1,164 people since its opening in May 2025 until June 30, 2026. The Councillor for Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families, Candelaria Delgado, presented the data in the parliamentary chamber, where she emphasized that these resources have become a reference for women assaulted in the Archipelago.
The five centres, located in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma, offer free, immediate, and comprehensive assistance 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The multidisciplinary teams provide psychological, legal, and social support without the victim having to file a complaint beforehand, and they assist both recent assaults and situations from the past.
Delgado highlighted that behind these figures “there are women, minors, and families who have suffered one of the most serious manifestations of male violence.” In her speech, the councillor insisted that the value of these centres lies not only in the number of cases but in that “the Canary Islands today has a public, specialized, and immediate response that previously did not exist with this territorial dimension and this capacity for intervention.”
Profile of the people assisted
Of the total recorded assistance, 742 correspond to women victims, 110 to minors, 180 to family members, and 132 to individuals who received guidance without the need to open a case file. Additionally, the teams have carried out 441 activations, many of them in urgent situations that required the immediate intervention of professionals and support for the victim from the first moments after the assault.
By island, the Tenerife centre has assisted 392 people; the Gran Canaria centre, 361; the Lanzarote centre, 178; the Fuerteventura centre, 172; and the La Palma centre, 61. The distribution reflects the territorial implementation of a service that, according to the councillor, aims to bring specialized help to any point in the Archipelago.
The councillor particularly focused on the 110 minors assisted, a reality that, in her opinion, necessitates strengthening prevention and affective-sexual education efforts. She also warned of the need to respond to new forms of sexual violence linked to the digital environment, such as control through social media or the non-consensual sharing of images.
Economic aid in processing
During her appearance, Delgado announced that the Government of the Canary Islands is processing for the first time the decree that will regulate the procedure for granting and paying economic aid to victims of sexual violence with insufficient resources. This regulation develops in the Archipelago the right recognized in the Organic Law of Comprehensive Guarantee of Sexual Freedom.
“A victim cannot fully regain her freedom if she continues to depend financially on her aggressor or lacks the means to rebuild her life,” stated the councillor. The future regulation will simplify administrative processing, allow electronic consultation of documentation, regulate the compatibility of aid with other benefits, and establish priority procedures for cases of greater social and economic vulnerability.
The goal of the regional government, according to Delgado, “is to continue strengthening this network of specialized assistance so that no victim has to face the consequences of a sexual assault alone and can find the necessary support to regain her autonomy and rebuild her life project.”
A key resource for families
Assistance to family members has also been one of the focal points of the report. The 180 family members assisted demonstrate, in the councillor's words, that sexual violence has a strong impact on the closest environment of the victims. Families need specialized support to accompany them, avoid processes of revictimization, and face the emotional and social consequences arising from these assaults.
The 24-hour Crisis Centres function as a gateway to the public system of specialized assistance. They can be activated through 112, 016, the Security Forces, health services, or by direct contact with the resource itself. In addition to psychological, legal, and social assistance, they offer support during crisis situations and coordination with the entire range of public resources.
With this balance, the Canary Islands consolidates a network that, in just one year, has positioned itself as an essential resource in the fight against sexual violence. People in need of help can go to any of the centres or contact the designated phone lines, which operate free of charge and confidentially.
You may also like
