The Zaragoza City Council and the Archdiocese have signed a pioneering agreement to turn five parishes into safe points for women victims of gender-based violence. Mayor Natalia Chueca and Archbishop Carlos Escribano sealed the agreement at the Nuestra Señora de Montserrat church. Abused women will be able to receive information here about municipal resources, such as support services and professional assistance.
Technology at the service of the shelter network 🛡️
To coordinate this network, the City Council has developed a geolocation system integrated into the municipal app Zaragoza Activa. The affiliated parishes have devices with a direct connection to the 016 emergency hotline. The protocol includes a silent alert button that notifies the local police without raising suspicion. The churches have public wifi and tablets so that victims can access help forms and schedule appointments with social workers.
Low-cost confessionals for divine bureaucracy 🙏
Now victims can confess to a municipal official instead of a priest, although the process will be just as eternal. The parishes thus add a new service: bureaucratic guidance with a scent of incense. Of course, help comes with the schedule of a noon mass, so if you are a victim on a Monday afternoon, you better pray they don't close early. At least the panic button works without needing to drop a coin in the collection box.