Cabildo Expands Violence Victim Support Network in South Tenerife.
Tenerife's Cabildo has launched a new, fully accessible office in South Tenerife, offering comprehensive support for victims of gender-based and sexual violence with a multidisciplinary team, as part of an island-wide service expansion.
This new office is an important step in building a network of comprehensive support services for victims of gender-based and sexual violence in Tenerife. South Tenerife has a growing and spread-out population. Because of this, the Cabildo is working to ensure all victims of gender-based violence receive effective, accessible, and compassionate help, no matter where they live. To achieve this, we've expanded our support network to include 13 general care offices and 3 Specialized Care and Intervention Centers for Victims of Sexual Violence (CAVIS). We also plan to open another office in the north of the island by early 2026.
This new center offers two main services: a general care office, providing initial contact, psychological support, legal advice, and social help for victims of gender-based violence; and a specialized center for victims of sexual violence. Both are located in the same building, but in separate areas, and are staffed by a multidisciplinary team of 10 professionals, including psychologists, legal experts, and social workers. This ensures women, girls, boys, and teenagers receive comprehensive support without having to travel to multiple locations.
We expect to help 49 women through the general care service (known as SIAM) and 41 through the specialized sexual violence center (CAVIS), plus 8 minors. These are initial estimates based on current local demand.
Accessibility is a fundamental principle for the Cabildo. Victims of violence should not face physical barriers when seeking help. With advice from SINPROMI, we've made sure the office is fully accessible and inclusive for people with any disability. This means the focus stays on providing care, not on difficulties getting in.
Following this office in the south, the next one will be in the north. Our goal is to create a strong support network across the entire island. We don't want any victim to feel that distance prevents them from getting help. This is a strong commitment from the institution to eliminate this problem, and expanding our reach across the island is crucial to achieving it. Ultimately, the Cabildo's dedication to this goal is shown by a significant budget increase, exceeding 13 million euros next year.