The Mojácar Local Police force has been awarded the ‘Premios Menina Andalucía’ for its pioneering work in providing protection to victims of gender violence.

The Andalucian Government delegate, Antonio Sanz, presided over the annual gala of its Menina Awards at the Cajasol Foundation in Seville on the 23rd November, which the Government Delegation organized to recognize and support the work of organizations, associations, institutions and Andalucians against gender violence.

Since 2007, the local Police in Mojácar have been working continuously towards ‘VioGén’, a comprehensive monitoring system in cases of gender violence. This comes from the Secretary of State for Safety and Security within the Interior Ministry and, the local police have been among the pioneers providing protection to the victims of this serious social problem.

Between 2007 and 2013, the Guardia Civil and Local Police of Mojácar carried out this task together, but since then, by agreement with the state, the local police have managed the protection of the victims of the town themselves,  becoming the only municipality of Andalucia to do this single handedly.

The prize was collected on behalf of the Mojácar’s Local Police by Gabriel Ruiz Ayala, Head of the Gender Violence Unit, accompanied by three other agents from the Unit.  This 4th ceremony for delivering the statuettes (which are in the image of the ‘Girl from Velázquez’) was attended by a number of Government sub delegates, who are responsible for the police teams that specialize in the fight against gender violence.  Also present were numerous associations, entities and bodies linked to the defence of equality along with the prevention, support, assistance and protection of victims in Andalucia.