The Ministry of Equality under the spotlight of the European Public Prosecutor's Office for the purchase of anti-abuse bracelets

DublinAgents from the UCO of the Spanish Civil Guard traveled this Thursday to the offices of the Ministry of Equality and the Court of Auditors of Spain, in Madrid, to gather information at the request of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The investigation, opened last year but kept under seal, seeks to clarify whether a crime of fraud was committed with Next Generation funds intended for the electronic ankle monitors that track restraining orders in gender-based violence cases.

Although the European prosecutor's office has not provided details on which specific contracts are being investigated, the request for documentation from the Court of Auditors points to an audit from September 22, in which the management of this surveillance service (known as the COMETA system) between the years 2018 and 2026 was examined. The report was especially critical of a 42.6 million euro contract from 2023, paid for with European funds.

At that time, the ministry replaced the rental system for this type of electronic bracelet with the purchase of the devices, to save costs. But the decision led to a crisis: the new monitors had performance problems (location errors, low battery and shutdowns, and problems reading files) which led to several blackouts and as many as 123 judicial requirements being left unanswered. As the Court of Auditors concluded, the decision prioritized costs over the safety of the victims.

Redondo defends the ministry's actions

Although the European Public Prosecutor's Office is keeping the investigation confidential and has not provided details on the status of the proceedings, the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, has appeared urgently at a press conference to defend the management of her department. Redondo has assured that the judicial action is "nothing new" and has guaranteed "absolute collaboration and transparency" with the investigators.

"We are the first to want every last cent to be audited. I am certain that the euros have been invested correctly," the minister stated, having lashed out at the opposition and described the controversy as a "rigged debate of fake news and lies." Redondo has claimed that the new service contract, tendered in 2026, "improves all aspects and dysfunctions of the previous contract" and has warned that the safety of the victims cannot be put at risk.