Minute of silence in Sagunto for a suspected gender-based killing in Madrid: help numbers
Sagunto observed a minute of silence on Friday 23 October for a 52-year-old woman, the alleged victim of a gender-based killing in Madrid. The 016 and 112 lines take calls from victims and witnesses.
The gathering took place on Friday 23 October 2026 at 12:00, outside the public buildings of Sagunto. The council's Equality Department called it after the suspected gender-based killing of a 52-year-old woman in Madrid. Members of the municipal corporation (the elected councillors), council staff, local residents, and community groups and associations took part, standing in silence to show condemnation and rejection.
The council accompanied the event with the official figures. The year 2025 ended with 47 women killed, and 43 have died so far in 2026, so four more would equal last year's total with more than two months still to go. Since 2003, when records began, 1,384 gender-based killings have been counted. Among minors, 68 have been victims since 2013, and three killings in 2026 were cases of vicarious violence.
This is not the first such event the council has called this year. According to elperiodic.com, in May 2026 the council held another minute of silence, for the suspected gender-based killing of a 21-year-old woman in Madrid; at that point the official 2026 figure was 19 women. Another 24 have been added since, reaching the current 43. The same outlet had reported in April 2025 a similar gathering for a case in Gran Canaria, when the total since 2003 stood at 1,302 and 2024 had closed with 48 women killed. Between that figure and today's, the register has 82 more killings.
The legal framework behind the institutional response is Organic Law 1/2004 on comprehensive protection measures against gender violence, which the Congress of Deputies passed unanimously. In May 2008 the Constitutional Court upheld it, with seven judges in favour and five against the article that allows penalties to be increased.
The Equality Department reminds residents of a civic duty: anyone who suspects a case of violence should call 016 or the emergency number 112 and report it. The 016 line is free and answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. The call does not show on the phone bill, although it should be deleted from the handset's call log.
For questions and support, the Women's Support Service in the Equality Department operates in person from Monday to Friday. It can be reached on 96 265 58 89, by WhatsApp on 607 248 363 (from 8:00 to 15:00) or by email at [email protected]. Booking an appointment is recommended, but cases that require it are seen without one.
In a serious emergency, the Emergency Coordination Centre answers on 112. A woman who has been assaulted and needs protection can call the National Police (091 or 96 267 00 91), the Local Police (092 or 96 265 54 84) or the Guardia Civil (062). Anyone who needs urgent help can also contact the Centre Dona 24 Hores of the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian regional government) on 900 580 888, or again on 016.
According to Sagunto City Council, with additional data from Wikipedia on Organic Law 1/2004 and from elperiodic.com.