The Barnahus team from Prat de Llobregat presented the innovative model of comprehensive care for minors who are victims of sexual violence, known as Barnahus, to the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Abed Rego, on Thursday 24 July. The visit took place at the Barnahus in Prat de Llobregat, with the presence of the Minister of Social Rights and Inclusion, Mònica Martínez Bravo, and the Mayor of Prat, Alba Bou, among other authorities.
During the visit, the coordinator of the center, Ana Belén Jarillo, highlighted that the Barnahus are safe and trusted spaces where a multidisciplinary team of professionals works in a coordinated manner to address cases of child abuse. This approach seeks to minimize the discomfort and revictimization of minors during the judicial process.
A comprehensive and coordinated model
The Barnahus have a full-time psychosocial team, as well as other professionals who join them as necessary, either in person or via videoconference. This model prevents minors from having to resort to multiple institutions, such as police stations, hospitals and courts, and provides them with comprehensive support in the prevention and detection of abuse.
Minister Sira Abed has highlighted the importance of this model, emphasizing that "the protection and well-being of minors must be the priority in all interventions". She has also claimed that the Barnahus centers are "a model of justice for children" that aims to "avoid the revictimization" of those who have suffered abuse, and has announced that the Government intends to extend them to all autonomous communities.
For her part, Minister Martínez Bravo has underlined the commitment of the Catalan government to creating safe environments for victims. He recalled that the first center opened in 2020 following a successful model from the Nordic countries, and highlighted that in five years the detection of cases of sexual violence against minors has increased fivefold. “This shows that there is a latent set of cases of sexual violence that unfortunately are not being detected and that the Barnahus model is emerging,” he indicated.
Barnahus success
Laura Peracaula, co-director general of Suara, stated that “the Barnahus are a success story that puts the person at the center, highlighting the need to work in a coordinated manner between the different actors”. She also emphasized that “with the Barnahus we ensure that the administrative and judicial process does not prevent us from focusing on what is most important: the recovery and well-being of children who are victims of sexual violence”.
The Barnahus project, which means “house of boys and girls” in Icelandic, was promoted by the Generalitat of Catalonia in 2020. It currently has 14 centers throughout the territory, which treated 1,715 cases in 2024. Suara Cooperativa manages three of these houses (Girona, Tortosa and El Prat de Llobregat) and, with almost 40 years of experience, offers care to 4,000 minors in Catalonia.
This pioneering model of care for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence provides a more humane and understanding environment for those who have suffered traumatic experiences.
