Andorra pilots wearable safety buttons for victims of gender‑based violence

The Andorran government, the police and private firm Grup Menta have signed a cooperation agreement to pilot discreet wearable safety buttons for victims of gender‑based violence. The small device links to a smartphone app and connects directly to the police Information, Coordination and Command Room to speed response and strengthen protection.

When a user presses the button an alert with the woman’s geolocation is sent immediately to the police command centre. Activation automatically begins a 10‑second audio recording that is transmitted to the command room; the system then sends a fresh 10‑second audio clip and an updated location every ten seconds until officers intervene. Police say the continuous audio feed enables victims to give additional information without having to take out their phones.

Alerts received through the system are treated as real incidents and the nearest patrol is dispatched according to standard protocol, even if an activation appears accidental. The service will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and police plan to carry out monthly functional tests with users to verify the system operates correctly.

Grup Menta supplies the devices and the required software free of charge as part of the public–private initiative. To protect anonymity, recipients are identified to police by a code rather than by name. After a police intervention concludes, the incident is recorded and both the police and the Service for Victims of Gender‑Based Violence (SAVVG) — together with other relevant services if needed — carry out follow‑up with the woman.

Access to the device is limited to women who are under follow‑up by the SAVVG and assessed as having a medium or high risk level using the RVD‑BCN risk assessment tool. Allocation criteria also consider factors such as whether the woman is in a SAVVG shelter or subject to protection or restraining orders; cohabitation with the aggressor is not an automatic exclusion. Women must be informed about the system, give informed consent and accept the terms of use before a button is issued. Officials say 11 women currently meet the criteria to receive the device in the initial phase.

Practical details provided by authorities note the device is discreet and portable; its battery lasts about one year and will be replaced after roughly ten months to ensure continued operation. The pilot will be presented to the National Commission for the Prevention of Gender Violence — which includes representatives from the prosecution, the courts and police — for review of coordination and operational protocols before any wider rollout.

The agreement was signed by Secretary of State for Equality and Citizen Participation Mariona Cadena, Secretary of State for Interior Joan León, and Filipa Fernandes on behalf of Grup Menta. Officials stress that using the button is voluntary and intended as an additional layer of protection within a broader policy of prevention, protection and support for victims. Authorities also say they are working to harmonise related data reporting in line with international recommendations.