With the goal of strengthening child safety and preventing situations like those reported at the Bernedo camp, the Basque Government has promoted a new decree for educational leisure and free time activities. This regulation develops Law 2/2022 on Youth and establishes new requirements for activities such as camping, volunteer camps, and udalekus.
Among the main novelties of the decree is the obligation to appoint a delegate for the protection of children and adolescents. This person must have specific training and their functions will include explaining and applying violence prevention protocols, as well as activating action mechanisms in case of suspicion. Furthermore, they must report any possible risk situation “according to current regulations” and ensure the protection of sensitive data of minors.
Several families publicly denounced practices such as mixed nude showers between minors and adult monitors, without having been previously informed. According to testimonies, some young people, aged between 13 and 15, felt compelled to use these spaces without gender distinction.
The new regulation comes in the wake of the controversy generated last summer at a camp held in Bernedo, in the Montaña Alavesa, organized by the Sarrea Euskal Udaleku Elkartea association. Family complaints about unannounced practices, such as mixed nude showers, caused significant social alarm. The regional Executive intends for the new decree to come into force before next summer, replacing the regulation in effect since 1985, which was deemed obsolete.
