When a woman is a victim of sexual violence, the terrible fact is joined by others no less unpleasant, such as the police and legal process that must go through until the complaint of that crime is effective. To facilitate this painful process, the Community of Madrid has launched a new protocol, unique in Spain, which unifies care for these women. And it makes it possible to present the complaint at the hospital, without the need to go to the police.
The new device began to be applied in the region on July 1. During these two months, it has been operational in 25 public hospitals in the region that have Psychiatry and Gynecology specialties 24 hours a day. It works through a new health code, VISEM, which, when activated, mobilizes all services for urgent and comprehensive care, and centralizes actions at a single point of care: the one to which the victim has gone. It is the way to provide intimacy, care and psychosocial support to women who have suffered sexual violence.
Three devices in one
Since July 1, more than 120 women have been treated with this protocol: specifically, 123. The name of the new system is Coordinated Health Care Protocol women who have suffered recent sexual violence, and is aimed at women over 16 years of age. The Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, yesterday took stock of its first two months of operation.
The protocol is activated with the VISEM code, both from out-of-hospital emergency services (SUMMA 112 or SAMUR) and from an accredited health center. This is the way by which the health, police and judicial devices are mobilized and coordinated.
women
have been cared for in this device since it was launched on July 1.
This protocol also implements the Urgent Health Assistance Report: very important, because it prevents women from having to appear in person at the police station to formalize the complaint before going to the health center. With the new method, from the hospital where she is being treated, the duty judge is notified of the existence of a case of sexual violence. This activates the judicial process, without the need for a prior complaint, unless the affected party expresses her wish not to file a complaint.
hospitals
of the region have established this new protocol for victims.
In the first phase of the process, it is the medical staff of the hospital where they are treating her who performs an initial assessment of the victim. Subsequently, the Duty Court is notified by telephone or electronic means. An urgent health care report is sent for alleged sexual violence, and then the forensic doctor visits the hospital, by order of the duty judge, to proceed, in parallel, with medical-legal care.
Centers that apply it
To facilitate the implementation of this protocol, the figure of the VISEM reference has been created in each of the accredited centers: eight in the capital –October 12, Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital, San Carlos Clinic, Jiménez Díaz Foundation, Gregorio Marañón, Infanta Leonor, La Paz, and Ramón y Cajal– and the rest, in other municipalities: the hospitals Fundación Alcorcón, Príncipe de Asturias (Alcalá de Henares), Tajo (Aranjuez), Sureste (Arganda), Collado Villalba, Henares (Coslada), Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Severo Ochoa (Leganés), Puerta de Hierro (Majadahonda); Móstoles and King Juan Carlos (Móstoles); Infanta Cristina (Parla), El Escorial (San Lorenzo de El Escorial), Infanta Sofía (San Sebastián de los Reyes), Torrejón (Torrejón de Ardoz) and Infanta Elena (Valdemoro).