The Mayor of Orihuela, Pepe Vegara, together with the Councillors for Equality, Agustina Rodríguez, Public Safety, Mónica Pastor, and the Environment, Noelia Grao, welcomed the participants to a course on self-protection and self-defence for women which took place today in the premises of the Orihuela Local Police Headquarters.
The Departments of Equality and Public Safety have launched this training aimed at women victims of gender violence ‘in order to increase the self-esteem and confidence of the students in conflict situations in which they could be immersed, learn basic self-defence techniques (how to react to a surprise attack, dodge blows ….), and finally, that women know the circumstances in which these attacks occur, what strategies can be used to avoid them and what to do when they have already occurred,’ as explained Agustina Rodriguez.
The councillor for Public Safety, Mónica Pastor, highlighted ‘the constant collaboration between the Local Police and SEMAVIG to be able to help victims of gender violence, as this training is important for them so that they can feel safer’. Users of the different resources are taking part in this course to provide this training as a tool to complement the comprehensive care they receive.
The Mayor of Orihuela said that ‘it is important that from the public administrations we are able to provide tools and resources to women who suffer or have suffered some kind of violence, so we will continue to support such initiatives that are so well received.
The one inconsistency with the course is that it was held in Orihuela City and not Orihuela Costa where the area has seen 4 murders attributed to domestic violence in the last 15 months. The councillor for public safety was asked by The Leader what plans there are to hold a similar course on the coast.
In her response Mónica Pastor said, “ On the course held in Orihuela there were three victims of gender violence invited from the coast. This training consists of several phases depending on the attendance and participation generated by the course in order to continue offering more of these types of courses. The next one is planned for the coast.”
