Santa Cruz Violence Courts Expand for Victim Privacy
Santa Cruz de Tenerife's Courts of Violence against Women are expanding into newly freed space within the Palace of Justice, enhancing privacy and facilities for victims after other courts were relocated.
Legal professionals had long been calling for improvements at the Courts of Violence against Women in Santa Cruz de Tenerife's Palace of Justice. The facilities were simply not good enough for victims of gender violence, many of whom brought their young children. The problem wasn't just the cramped space; often, victims would come face-to-face with their abusers or have to give statements so close to other victims that they could overhear each other, which was a clear breach of their privacy.
The Canary Islands Government's Ministry of Presidency, Public Administrations, Justice and Security has come up with a solution. They've moved the Court of First Instance number six out of the Palace of Justice entirely and relocated Criminal Court number six to a different floor within the same building.
This move helps make the best use of the limited space available. By moving a court that doesn't need holding cells out of the main justice building, more room is freed up.
This arrangement creates about 250 square meters of free space on the first floor of the Palace of Justice. This extra room will allow the two Courts of Violence against Women to expand. These courts now handle cases not just from the capital but also from La Laguna, El Rosario, and Güímar, following the introduction of regionalized courts.
Court of First Instance number six will start operating this Thursday from a rented office on the first floor of the El Cabo building in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It's conveniently located next to the Bar Association and the Association of Solicitors.
Regional Minister Nieves Lady Barreto, Deputy Minister of Justice and Security Cesáreo Rodríguez, and Director General of Relations with the Administration of Justice Leonor Ferrer visited the new facilities on Wednesday morning. Their visit came just hours before the planned move of all cases, files, IT, and phone equipment from the Court of First Instance. The new offices are already furnished and have all network and data connections ready; they just need the equipment to be plugged in to start work.
Barreto explained, "Our goal was to move courts around to free up space in the Palace of Justice, allowing us to expand the facilities for the Courts of Violence against Women."
The minister emphasized that "the two Violence Courts will now have separate areas, ensuring victims more privacy and providing them with proper, respectful, and emotionally sensitive care."
The regional minister confirmed that this move addresses an issue created by the regionalization of the Violence Courts. Approved in 2022 by the previous government, this change grouped cases from Güímar, El Rosario, La Laguna, and Santa Cruz into the capital's court facilities, without providing enough space. This problem has worsened this year as the courts have taken on new duties under the Judicial Efficiency Law.
Barreto also mentioned the significant effort involved in the gradual introduction of the new Courts of Instance, which are set to begin operating on January 1st. This initiative will transform 222 single-judge courts into 19 larger Courts of Instance.
The minister thanked the staff and the heads of the relocated courts for their cooperation. She also praised the excellent coordination with the Courts of Violence against Women and the presiding judge in making these changes happen.