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Under the same roof. This is the idea behind Barnahus, the care service for child and adolescent victims of sexual violence that has been operating since 2020 in Tarragona. This is a Government project, a pioneer both in Catalonia and in Spain, which has developed a multidisciplinary and specialized team. Before the end of this year, 2023, there will be another 12 services like this in operation.
The main driving force is the Department of Social Rights - through the General Directorate of Child Care and Adolescence - but in coordination with Health, Education, Justice, Interior and Equality and Feminism.
Barnahus (Icelandic for children's house) has the appearance of a home, so that children and their families recognize it as a friendly space that provides security and confidence. In this space, a psychosocial team works full time and, in addition, there are other professionals who travel when necessary or connect by videoconference to prevent the victim and their family from having to go through the different instances that intervene in these processes: police station , court, children's service, medical center...
In this way, the victim only has to explain the abuse they have once suffered to a specialized team, which is in charge of their development and recovery. In this way, re-victimization is avoided through the coordination of all the parties involved, but, in addition, the contamination of the testimony in the face of a possible judicial investigation is minimized.
Since Barnahus opened, the detection of cases of sexual abuse in children and adolescents in the Camp de Tarragona has multiplied by four. It is not that in Tarragona there are more sexual assaults on children, it is that now more are reported, thanks to the work of prevention and detection of situations of abuse, as well as the multidisciplinary and interdepartmental perspective with which the team works.
In view of the good results of the service in Tarragona, and to continue working to improve the prevention, detection, treatment and prosecution of sexual abuse of children and adolescents, the Government has decided to extend the network of these facilities to the entire the territory, with a total of 13 Barnahus services, which will be in operation this 2023. The new services will be located in Tortosa, Vilanova i la Geltrú, El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Badalona, Granollers, Mataró, Terrassa, Manresa, Lleida, la Seu d'Urgell and Girona.
Barnahus de Tarragona has released facilities. The new building –located, like the previous one, in the Educational Complex– is designed by Garreta Arquitectes. The facilities reproduce a home, with a comfortable environment, bioclimatic system and is built with healthy materials. There are separate waiting rooms to protect privacy, which are equipped with age-appropriate furniture, toys, magazines and books and the needs of young and old users.
All service rooms are soundproofed and accessible. In addition, the rooms are equipped to carry out the forensic interview and the exploratory interview, as well as family interviews, and are connected to an audiovisual communication system.
