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Barcelona Prosecutors Unveil Victim-Centered Unit for Child Abuse and Serial Sexual Assaults

Leaders say the service needs reinforcements to handle about 200 investigations opened since January.

Overview

  • The Specialized Service for the Protection of Vulnerable People was presented Friday by chief prosecutor Neus Pujal and section head Félix Martín.
  • The team has four prosecutors, with a fifth approved, but only Martín is assigned full time as the office seeks additional staff and plans province-wide rollout.
  • Procedures focus on avoiding revictimization through single recorded testimony, age-appropriate questioning, no visual contact with alleged aggressors, and Barnahus-style multidisciplinary support.
  • The section will coordinate with the Mossos’ Central Sexual Assault Unit (UCAS) and with the new childhood and adolescence courts launched in 2025.
  • Its remit includes group or serial sexual assaults and serious crimes against people with disabilities and vulnerable older adults; early matters include the Ramon Flecha case referred by the University of Barcelona after complaints from 16 women at CREA.