The Socialist Housing Union of Pamplona has denounced that a woman who is a victim of gender violence and her five children, three of them minors, can be dismissed from their home in Burlada. The eviction is scheduled for January 30. According to the union, the situation began in 2013, when the woman and her then partner entered the house with an oral agreement with the owner, who is a relative of the aggressor. Although they have paid their rent for years, the lack of a formal contract has left them without the protection of the law.

The situation deteriorated when the woman was the victim of macho violence and, as a result, the aggressor was imprisoned. The restraining order is no longer in force, according to the organization. Now, the landlord wants to evict her on the grounds that she intends to sell her home, leaving her mother in a situation of legal homelessness, since she is not recognized as a formal tenant, the current moratorium on evictions of vulnerable people does not apply to her.

70% and 75% of court dismissals are made

“Between 70% and 75% of judicial dismissals continue to be carried out, even in cases of obvious vulnerability,” they denounce the union and also criticize the ineffectiveness of the measures announced to stop these procedures. They affirm that the institutions “fail to offer real alternatives and solutions in depth” and lament that “one week after the eviction, the uncertainty that this family suffers is absolute”. In addition, it is emphasized that macho violence has a lasting impact on the lives of women, especially working class women.

In this case, “the woman and her children could be left on the street for keeping them tied to the family of the ex-husband and aggressor”, which the union considers “a remarkable re-victimization”. They also point out that the social services have not provided an opportunity, despite the numerous petitions made by the person affected, and that in this process they have had the collaboration of the union. “Before the law, the aggressor and the institutions” the organizers denounce the total lack of protection that this woman suffers. They explain that, despite the announcement of measures to stop evictions, they do not apply to this type of case.

They also stress that women continue to face the consequences of male violence, both because of the lack of legal guarantees and because the institutions have refused to guarantee their right to decent housing.