Gender-violence helpline calls rise

The Canary Islands Statistics Institute said on May 15 that calls to Spain’s 016 helpline for violence against women from the archipelago rose in March from a year earlier. ISTAC said 695 calls were handled in March 2026, compared with 525 in March 2025, a 32% increase. The institute also said first-quarter calls reached 1,885, up 17% from the same period a year earlier. The figures refer to contacts with the state-run 016 service, which provides information, legal advice and immediate psychosocial support for violence against women. ### How big was the increase in March? March 2026 brought 695 calls from the Canary Islands, according to ISTAC’s monthly violence statistics release published on May 15. The same month in 2025 had recorded 525 calls, leaving an increase of 170 calls year on year. The first quarter of 2026 totaled 1,885 calls, ISTAC said. That compared with the first quarter of 2025 at a level 17% lower, according to the institute’s release. ### Which province accounted for more calls? Las Palmas recorded 360 calls in March, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife recorded 335, according to the March breakdown cited by EFE and published by regional and local outlets. (gobiernodecanarias.org) The two provinces were separated by 25 calls. The March total was therefore split close to evenly between the two provinces, with Las Palmas accounting for the larger share. ISTAC’s release summarized the regional increase, while the province detail appeared in the reporting based on the same monthly dataset. (eldiario.es) ### Who made the calls? ISTAC said 85% of the March calls were made by the victim herself. Family members or other people close to the victim accounted for 11%, and other callers made up 4%. Those shares indicate that most contacts came directly from women seeking help through the service rather than through third parties, according to the published breakdown. (gobiernodecanarias.org) ### What does the 016 service do? Spain’s Ministry of Equality says 016 offers information, legal advice and immediate psychosocial support for all forms of violence against women. (atlanticohoy.com) The service is available by phone at 016, by WhatsApp at 600 000 016, by online chat and by email. The government’s 016 information page says the service is free, anonymous and confidential. Ministry material also says calls do not appear on the phone bill, though users are advised in some guidance to delete the number from the handset’s call log if needed. The ministry says legal assistance through 016 operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, while counseling and immediate psychosocial care are available 24 hours a day. (violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es) Ministry material says the service can assist in 53 languages. ### Are these Canary Islands figures part of a wider official reporting system? (violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es) ISTAC publishes a monthly statistical series on calls to 016 in the Canary Islands as part of its violence statistics releases. The May 15 publication was labeled as the March 2026 update. (violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es) The 016 service itself is run by Spain’s Ministry of Equality through the Government Delegation against Gender Violence. The ministry’s resources page lists 016 alongside other support tools, including ATENPRO, a 24-hour telephone protection service for victims of violence against women. May 15 is the date of the latest ISTAC release covering March, and the next step is the publication of a new monthly update with April data on the institute’s violence statistics page. (gobiernodecanarias.org) (violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es)