Tortosa, Terres de l'Ebre, has started construction on a new Barnahus centre, a facility designed to provide integrated care for children and adolescents who have experienced abuse or mistreatment. The project aims to prevent re-victimisation by allowing children to recount their experiences just once in a safe, warm, and trustworthy environment, with coordinated support from all involved professionals.
The Baix Ebre Regional Council hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for the future centre. Antoni Gilabert, president of the council, emphasised that the project is more than just a building. "We are talking about a different way of doing things to better protect children and prevent them from having to relive painful situations," Gilabert said. He added that the goal is for children to feel "heard, accompanied, and cared for with all the sensitivity they require."
Integrated Support Model
The Barnahus model focuses on coordination between different administrations and services. Gilabert noted that the Regional Council "was clear from the outset that we had to be part of the project because the territory needs it and it fits with how we understand public responsibility."
The new building will be located on land provided by the Baix Ebre Regional Council on Carrer Barcelona. Funded by Next Generation EU, the construction is expected to be completed within 10 months. The project has a budget of €1.5 million and the facility will have an approximate built area of 400 square metres.
The architectural design prioritises calm, privacy, and trust. The interior layout is planned to enhance the security of the care spaces. The future Tortosa Barnahus will include three care and treatment rooms, a group care room, a room for supporting judicial exploration with a corresponding viewing room, a medical examination room with a bathroom, two waiting rooms, a shared workspace for professionals, a meeting room, a multipurpose office, a staff kitchen, and two additional bathrooms.
Current Operations and Future Plans
The Tortosa Barnahus began operating two years ago from a provisional facility. It currently employs two psychologists, two social workers, an administrative assistant, and a coordinator. To provide full support to victims and their families, forensic teams, professionals from the victim support office, Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), and other specialists from the Departments of Health, Education, and Equality and Feminism also attend when needed. The two individuals responsible for the Barnahus Strategy, who report to the Directorate General for the Prevention and Protection of Children and Adolescents (DGPPIA), also participate.
Gilabert highlighted the collaboration between administrations that made the project possible. He stressed the importance of continuing to promote public services that are useful, dignified, and adapted to people's realities. Other attendees at the ceremony included Raül Moreno, Secretary General for Social Rights and Inclusion; Teresa Llorens, Secretary for Life Cycles and Citizenship; Joan Castor, Government Delegate in Terres de l'Ebre; Javier Sánchez, Territorial Director of Social Rights in Terres de l'Ebre; Mar Lleixà, Mayor of Tortosa; and Sergi Curto, Vice President of the Baix Ebre Regional Council.
