Spain's Court of Auditors finds flaws in abuse monitoring bracelets

Spain’s Court of Auditors has identified “serious deficiencies” in the contracting and monitoring of telematic bracelets used to enforce restraining orders against abusers. An audit of contracts awarded by the Ministry of Equality in 2018, 2021, and 2023—totaling 102.6 million euros—revealed significant operational failures.

The report highlights that the 2023 contract lacked a transition plan to ensure service continuity during provider changes, leading to 123 pending judicial requests going unanswered until October 2024. Technical issues including geolocation errors, battery failures, and unaddressed malfunctions were also noted.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Equality admitted it was unable to replace 886 devices (approximately 18.5% of the total at the time) because the individuals were not located. The Ministry stated these individuals had either manipulated the devices to make them useless or had removed them entirely. In response to such cases, the Ministry maintains that protocols are activated to involve law enforcement for searches after 24 hours of failed localization.