Abuse outside gender-violence law: men, older relatives, teenagers

Terms used

• Servicios sociales — Servicios sociales are the local public social services that assess your situation and arrange support such as home help or shelter.
• Orden de protección — An orden de protección is a court order that keeps an abuser away from you and sets other protective measures.
• Violencia doméstica — Violencia doméstica is the criminal offence of violence within the family or household, used when gender-violence law does not apply.
• Fiscalía — The Fiscalía is the public prosecutor's office, which can bring cases and ask courts for protective measures.
• Provisión de apoyos — A provisión de apoyos is a court-ordered support arrangement for a person who needs help making decisions.
• Fiscalía de Menores — The Fiscalía de Menores is the prosecutor's office that handles offences committed by young people aged 14 to 17.

Key rules

• Emergency: Call 112 if anyone is in danger, whoever you are.
• 016 helpline: The 016 line gives information to anyone but is aimed at violence against women.
• Men: Abuse of men is still a crime and you can ask for a protection order.
• Teenagers: Children under 14 are not criminally liable and are handled through child protection.
• Regional help: Services and waiting lists differ by region, so ask your local social services.

The short answer

Spain's gender-violence system is built for violence by men against women. If your situation falls outside it, you have fewer dedicated services. You can still use the general criminal and social-service routes, and 112 and 016 can both help as a first step.

In an emergency, call 112. It works for everyone.

The 016 line gives information to anyone, but it is aimed at violence against women. If you are not a woman abused by a partner, use it for general guidance and expect to be pointed to other services.

If you are a man abused by a partner or relative

You are not covered by the gender-violence system, but the abuse is still a crime. It is prosecuted as violencia doméstica.

• Call 112 if you are in danger.
• Report to the Policía Nacional, the Guardia Civil or a court.
• Ask the court for a protection order (orden de protección).
• Contact your local servicios sociales (social services) and the Oficinas de Asistencia a las Víctimas (victim assistance offices). Some regional or NGO helplines also support men, and a few regions have services made for men.

If you are an older person abused by a relative

• Call 112 in an emergency, or report to the police, the Guardia Civil or a court.
• You can also report to the Fiscalía, the prosecutor's office. It has prosecutors who protect vulnerable people.
• You can ask a court for measures such as a protection order, or for a review of your provisión de apoyos (court-ordered support arrangement).
• Your local servicios sociales can assess your situation, arrange help at home or find you a place in a shelter.
• Health centres must report injuries to the court, so tell the doctor what happened.
• Many regions run their own senior helplines and ombudsman services. The Defensor del Pueblo also takes complaints. NGOs such as Fundación Mayores or Cruz Roja give support.
• If the abuser is your partner and you are a woman, the 016 helpline applies to you.

If your teenage child is violent at home

Start with your local servicios sociales. They can refer your family to family-support and mediation programmes. Call 112 if someone is in danger.

You can also report to the police or the Fiscalía de Menores, which handles offences by young people aged 14 to 17. Courts can order educational measures, therapy programmes or supervised freedom.

Children under 14 are not criminally liable. They are dealt with through child protection instead.

Other places to ask:

• The school counsellor.
• Your paediatrician or mental health services, who can refer you.
• NGOs.
• Regional programmes for child-to-parent violence.

What to expect

Help depends on your region. Programmes, helplines and waiting lists differ between regions and towns. Ask your local servicios sociales what exists where you live. The questions below cover common cases.

Frequently asked questions

Can a man abused by his partner get a protection order?

Yes, a man can ask for a protection order (orden de protección), because the abuse is still a crime under the rules on domestic violence (violencia doméstica).

Who can an older person turn to if a relative is abusing them?

An older person can report to the police, the Guardia Civil, a court or the Fiscalía, which has prosecutors who protect vulnerable people. The local servicios sociales (social services) can assess your situation, arrange home help or find shelter. Health centres must report injuries to the court, and you can ask a court to review guardianship (provisión de apoyos).

What happens if my teenage child is violent at home?

If your child is 14 to 17, you can report to the police or the Fiscalía de Menores, and a court may order educational measures, therapy or supervised freedom. Children under 14 are not criminally liable and are dealt with through child protection. Social services can refer your family to support and mediation programmes, and the school counsellor or a paediatric or mental health service can also help.