Judges Clash With Zaragoza 'Parroquias Seguras' Plan

Juezas y Jueces para la Democracia opened a new front on May 20 against Zaragoza’s “Parroquias Seguras” plan, saying the city is shifting victims of gender violence toward Catholic parishes instead of reinforcing specialist public services. The statement from the group’s Aragón section came one week after Mayor Natalia Chueca and Archbishop Carlos Escribano signed the agreement in Zaragoza. The initiative adds five churches to the city’s network of “safe spaces” for women at risk, with the stated aim of offering an initial point of contact and referral to the Casa de la Mujer. The dispute has widened into a fight involving the judiciary, the city government, the archdiocese and opposition groups. ### Why are judges attacking a city program that the council says is only about referrals? The Aragón section of Juezas y Jueces para la Democracia said on May 20 that “Parroquias Seguras” is the “último y especialmente grave episodio” in what it called a broader retreat from specialized public policy on violence against women. The group said Zaragoza had already eliminated Puntos Violeta in 2025 and cut budgets at the Casa de la Mujer, and argued that the new plan continues that sequence. (juecesdemocracia.es) The judges’ association grounded its criticism in Spanish law and the constitution. It cited Organic Law 1/2004 on gender violence, Organic Law 10/2022 on sexual freedom and Article 16.3 of the Spanish Constitution, saying victim care must rest on professional specialization, a gender perspective and public institutions, and that delegating public functions to religious institutions is “un retroceso.” (juecesdemocracia.es) ### What exactly is Zaragoza’s “Parroquias Seguras” plan? The Zaragoza city council announced on May 12 that it had signed a collaboration agreement with the Archdiocese of Zaragoza to incorporate parishes into the city’s network of “espacios seguros” against sexist violence. City hall said the churches would serve as a “primer punto de apoyo” where women could be heard and then directed to municipal specialists at the Casa de la Mujer. (juecesdemocracia.es) Five churches were named in the first phase: Nuestra Señora de Montserrat in Ciudad Jardín, San Lamberto in Miralbueno, the Basilica of Santa Engracia, San José de Pignatelli on Paseo Constitución and Sagrada Familia in Torrero-La Paz. The city said parish staff and volunteers would receive specific training from professionals in the Equality Service on first response, listening and referral protocols. (zaragoza.es) ### How has Mayor Natalia Chueca answered the criticism? Natalia Chueca defended the agreement on May 20 and said she did not understand the backlash. The Zaragoza mayor said the arrangement “solamente trae ventajas y beneficios” for people suffering sexist violence and compared it with earlier agreements involving taxi drivers, bars and nightlife venues that were also folded into the city’s safe-space network. (zaragoza.es) The mayor also said the parish network could help reach women who trust a priest or volunteers before they ever enter the formal system. Chueca said the agreement costs the city “cero euros” and argued that the goal is to identify cases and redirect women to psychologists and specialists at the Casa de la Mujer. (europapress.es) ### What is the archdiocese saying about the role of the church? The Archdiocese of Zaragoza said on May 19 that the initiative does not replace public specialist services. In a clarification published through Iglesia en Aragón and reflected on the archdiocese’s site, the diocese said the plan is meant to provide “acogida inicial, escucha y acompañamiento” before referral to existing professional resources. (europapress.es) The city’s own campaign page uses similar language. It says parishes are being added because of their neighborhood presence and proximity, especially for older women and migrant women, and states that the objective is referral to professional municipal services rather than independent case handling by churches. ### Where does the political fight go next? (iglesiaenaragon.com) Zaragoza’s political argument was still escalating on May 21. Local reporting said the archdiocese had pushed back against criticism from Zaragoza en Común, while feminist groups including 8M Zaragoza had called protests against the agreement. Chueca, for her part, publicly answered those objections on May 20 and kept the deal in place. (zaragoza.es) Five parishes are already listed on Zaragoza’s official campaign page, and the next concrete step is the training of parish personnel by municipal equality professionals under the agreement announced on May 12. (zaragoza.es) (elconfidencialdigital.com)