As of today, the Ministry of Equality of the Government of Spain is launching a comprehensive assistance service for victims of hate crimes due to their sexual orientation, with free psychological and/or legal support and always operational through the telephone number 028 and other channels.
This 028 Arcoíris Service, for information and comprehensive attention on LGTBI rights, is the first service of these characteristics that provides service with uninterrupted hours and covers the entire territory, with the intention that there is no one, in any corner of Spain , that does not have comprehensive assistance in the face of any discrimination, hate crime due to LGTBIphobia or to see resolved any doubt or concern related to sexual orientation, gender identity or sexual characteristics.
028: Comprehensive aid to the LGTBI collective
The Ministry of Equality has launched on Wednesday, July 5, the “Rainbow Telephone”, the name given to the new service available by calling 028. It is an information and comprehensive help telephone on LGTBIQ+ rights to assist victims of hate crimes and discrimination due to LGTBIphobia.
This service will be operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It will have a team of professionals with specialized training in fields such as psychological and legal assistance, according to a statement from the Ministry of Equality.
The service, in addition to telephone, will also be offered through the email 028-online@igualdad.gob.es and through an online chat. The calls will be free (as in the cases of, for example, 016 for gender violence and 017 for cybersecurity) and confidential, accessible to people with hearing and/or speech disabilities, and will be answered in Spanish, Catalan, Galician , Basque, English and French.
Objective: prevent more hate crimes
In Spain, sexual orientation and gender identity are the second cause of complaints for hate crimes. This is only the tip of the iceberg, since, in turn, it is considered that only 2 out of 10 people who have suffered from them have dared to denounce them.
Hate crime, as defined by the first courtroom prosecutor against hate crimes and discrimination, Miguel Ángel Aguilar, “is a criminal offense above all. Injuries, threats, homicides… in which the main motivations are discrimination. In this case we are talking about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression«.
If they attack, threaten or cause damage to you or your belongings or property and they do so because of your sexual orientation or your gender identity or expression (or because they believe you are LGTBI even though you are not), you are being the victim of an act that It is considered a crime and, due to this LGTBIphobic motivation, it is classified as a ‘hate crime’.
With the launch of this helpline (also by e-mail or online chat), progress is being made in one of the rights of those who have been victims of a hate crime: that of information. You have the right to be informed about the assistance and support measures available; to be informed about the procedure you must follow to request them; to obtain a copy of the complaint; to respect your rights as a victim and that are included in the Statute of the Victim; to request the aid that is provided for by law; and to receive the information that exists on the criminal case.
