The Canary Islands Government alerted the Ministry of Equality, the Government Delegation, the Higher Prosecutor’s Office of the Canary Islands, and the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands about failures in the anti-violence bracelets, particularly on the island of La Palma, back in February last year.

This was revealed by the Councillor for the Presidency, Justice, Security, and Public Administration, Lady Barreto, during an interview on the ‘Buenos Días Canarias’ programme on Televisión Canaria, as reported by Europa Press.

According to Barreto, there were often either no devices available or insufficient technicians, especially on the non-capital islands, a situation she deemed “very serious.” The Ministry of Equality responded, asserting that these issues were merely “isolated incidents” and that “there was nothing more to it.”

Wider Issues Identified

Barreto insisted that the situation was not an “isolated issue,” highlighting the provinces of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cuenca. In addition to the device failures — with a total of 373 in the archipelago — the existing devices were also not “as effective as they should have been,” citing cases that resulted in dismissals and non-guilty verdicts when they should have led to convictions.

She urged the Ministry to clarify “how many cases in the Canary Islands have resulted in non-guilty verdicts or dismissals,” pointing out that reports must determine whether the perpetrator has approached the victim and if any distancing measures have been adhered to.

Call for Action

Last week, her department sent another letter to the ministry requesting further information, but she noted that “there has been no response” so far.

“This issue has made us very angry,” she added, emphasising that it is now crucial to ensure the safety of the system. She mentioned that she became aware, through a legal aid lawyer, that there have been further failures in recent days.