Europe unites against Domestic Violence: Highlights from the Valencia Symposium
María José Catalá, Mayor of Valencia
On June 3, 2025, the city of Valencia’s Local Police (PLV) hosted the International Symposium on New Approaches to Combat Domestic Violence. The event brought together European experts, policymakers, and first responders to present the results of the Horizon Europe project IMPROVE and discuss future strategies to combat domestic and gender-based violence.
Valencia's commitment to this issue was underlined by Mayor María José Catalá, who noted, "The local police of Valencia has always been a pioneer in the fight against gender-based violence. We are the sole local police force in Spain involved in the IMPROVE project. We collaborate with 17 partners from 8 countries across Europe, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe.”
AI and Innovation in Victim Support
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the AinoAid chatbot, a conversational AI tool designed to help victims by providing guidance on their rights and available services. As José L. Diego, Chief of Innovation of the Valencia Local Police, explained, “AI has great potential. Training an AI as we are currently doing it will improve victim protection and make our police force more efficient and professional.”
The symposium also introduced the European Training Platform on Domestic Violence, a resource to strengthen the capacities of police forces, NGOs, and other professionals working directly with victims throughout Europe.
From Directive to Action
The symposium brought together experts, first responders, and policymakers from across Europe.
Beyond the project's direct results, the symposium also served as an important forum for discussing the newly adopted EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. This highlighted how European policy can drive systemic change when paired with local innovation and practical action. As PLV’s IMPROVE Project Manager Susana Solá stated: “This symposium addresses new approaches and strategies to collectively combat the serious social scourge of gender based and domestic violence and serves as the final milestone of 3 years work oft he European IMPROVE project!“
