New safety scheme for young women a success

Caption: Local police are providing a safe journey home after fiestas.

Caption: Local police are providing a safe journey home after fiestas. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A new scheme pioneered by police at the Santurtzi Festival in northern Spain has been praised for providing young female festival goers a safer experience during the late night festivities.

The scheme, a collaboration between the Santurtzi local council and police force, involves a free minibus that will transport the minors to and from the festival under the supervision of security and police personnel.

Once the young women have been dropped off at their destination they are monitored by the accompanying police officer to ensure they get through their door safely.

The new scheme comes after a plethora of sex attacks have been reported this year at festivals and ferias across the country.

Local culture councillor Danel Bringas said of the project, “the aim is to avoid minors being caught up in dangerous situations, in particular in the case of women who live in remote areas where they could be subjected to threats, propositions, unpleasant insinuations or violent situations.”

The minibus was first used last years Cármenes de Santurtzi festival and was used by a total of 388 young women.

One young girl has used the service every night, because, she says, she has to use “streets with no lighting” to get home. “After a certain time of night this all gets crazy,” says the girl “People don’t know what they are doing and anything could happen to you.”

The scheme has now been used by a number of localities across the country and has had similar positive feedback.

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James Warren

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