Developed by the Vodafone Spain Foundation in collaboration with the Spanish Red Cross and the TecSOS Foundation, TecSOS is a handheld device which looks just like a mobile phone. We say looks just like a mobile phone, because it functions a little differently to your usual 21st century mobile.
Whilst the screen is fake, and the keypad is frozen, there is an activation button which once pressed, alerts the police. The police can then locate the device and an enhanced microphone records what happens next. These recordings, unlike most types of recording, are admissible in court.
The device is currently being used in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Ireland and the UK. The Vodafone website tells us:
“The handsets have been used by over 36,000 women across 6 European countries. In the UK, it is being used by over 50% of UK police forces with more than 7,000 victims benefiting from the increased security and protection provided by the service.”
For obvious reasons, not much is known about the scheme, but it seems the UK roll out comes with some special features. Each call made from one of these phones is escalated to an ‘immediate’ response time, so the police can get to the scene and prevent any further violence. The recording is also a powerful solution in itself for DV victims – any incriminating content can be used in court without the victim having to testify at the hearing.
You can catch testimonials of DV victims who have used the device to protect themselves, here.
Whilst we think this is a step forward, no doubt some of you will have concerns over possible fabrication of evidence, which may well be a possible deviation in what we feel is, overall, a force for good.
Researching Reform 
Entrapment? Or does that not matter where men are concerned. I mean, it seems that getting rid of due process for men in US campuses is the new legal tyranny doing the rounds. Considering that women are 53:47 more violent than men, will it lead to an increase in prosecutions of violent females, especially against children? Or does the legal privilege of females getting lower sentences and prosecutions give them a free pass in this case?
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This market could double then, given that male victims of DV represent about 50% of female victim total in the general categories, and are on a par (50/50) in the married and cohabiting relationship category. Will the police be handing these things out to men – or is it another ‘women only’ policy ?
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Why not ask Vodafone?
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Hi James, thanks for your thoughts. Do you have the data/ research for the stat you quote? It would be interesting to see them. I don’t doubt that some women are violent, however for those who are being abused by their spouses or partners, I think this is a welcome move. It’s clearly helped a lot of vulnerable women and I’m all for that.
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Research by Prof Martin Fiebert (over 350,000 cases), Murray Strauss, Harvard Medical School 2007, Hines Douglas Intimate_terrorism_Oct 2009. Of course in the feminized world we now live in, who’s interested in the truth anymore? The simple question you can ask is this: how many men do you know personally that slap their partners? Then ask how many women you know do the same to their partners? On another note, how many men have been excluded from their children (emotional abuse that can lead to suicide) and what is being done to prosecute the perpetrators?
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Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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Yes, noticed that ‘36,000 women’ have used this device; no men at all? And we do have to be worried about the fabrication of evidence.
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I think that’s something of concern across the board with evidence, but I still welcome this new technology.
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Why do you welcome this technology when justice concerning men and women is dealt with on an unequal basis? The message going out to men is: women cannot be trusted. This is the sort of thing that reinforces that distrust.
If I recorded a person without their knowledge, it would be inadmissible in court. Are we now going to change the rules so that domestic violence cases will have a lower standard of evidence especially when men are the target group?
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James, I’ve made my position clear many times on these issues. This is not just about recording, this is About ensuring help reaches those who need it. You appear to be totally blinded by a hatred for women and as such there is no point in engaging with you or indulging your quite frankly ridiculous paranoia.
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I object to the notion that I hate women. That is a very feminist response to anyone who opposes feminist ideology. Women are a demographic group, not an ideology. I believe on this issue, you have allowed your emotions to get the better of you.
It is not paranoia to point out the somewhat greater injustices that are endured by men and boys and it is not hating women to point these things out. It is not paranoic to point out that men receive greater sentences than women. Nor is it paranoic to also point out that boys are doing less well in education than girls. It is also not wrong to try to show that domestic violence is not a gender issues, but a social one.
What comes next? Are you going to censure me because you don’t like me saying these things?
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You can object all you want, your comments speak volumes. They are irrational and without balance. I’ve made it quite clear on this blog, and indeed this post, that there will always be men and women who are dishonest. I clearly have no problem with looking at issues from every angle. You, on the other hand, clearly cannot. And if your posts no longer appear on this blog it is not because you’ve disagreed with me (look around, this blog is filled with views that differ from mine), it’s because you are no longer able to express an opinion without letting your hatred of women get in the way.
Oh, and this is my blog, James. I can censure whomever I wish.
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James, with respect, you come across here as a boy who wants his way, no matter what.
You are falling into the patriarchal trap of
good v evil/Eve ill.
Black V white ,
Male v fe-male
All a divide and rule tactic perpetrated by those who want to control one group by using another.
For 5,000 years now men were used by this system to husband the women like a farmer does animal husbandry.
We had all the women in society- due to religions being deemed evil and feeble minded. We still have this training for judges etc- old boy beliefs.
Society then wanted women to be equal to men- which makes no sense as male is only half fe+male. So it is not males who have to strive to be whole and find their fe+male energies and balance them.
With this so called equality women were and are expected to behave like men.Use male energy only and become aggressive and abusive and not submit like they used to. Because some invisible man in the sky deemed women less evolved than men, all liars- Evil Eves and their evil children, does not mean we all believe this brainwashing.
If there were that many male victims, why then was the male DV unit in UK not used?
Domestic terrorism is a gender issue with white male supremacists feeling they have a god given right to control, own, possess the women and children of our patriarchal society.
.
Click to access Who-Does-What-to-Whom.pdf
research involving the North East of England the vast majority of domestic violence
perpetrators recorded by the police were found to be men (92%) and their victims mainly female (91%)
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Is there any point in conversing with a radical feminist? Natasha’s mask has clearly slipped to show her true self. I wonder who’s paying her for this blog? Patriarchy Theory is a nonsense. As for men not using DV clinics – a lot of male victims I know put up with their abuse and don’t seek help. BTW police stats are pretty useless especially if the police of only arresting men.
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So it is not males who have to strive to be whole and find their fe+male energies and balance them.
sorry meant to read “So is it not males who have to strive to be whole and find their fe+male energies and balance them.?
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James “The message going out to men is: women cannot be trusted. This is the sort of thing that reinforces that distrust. ”
Yes that has been the message for 5000 years now since poor Adam was tempted by the evil Eve.
Female DV victims are still advised not to mention DV in courts because they will not be believed- well unless they are dead.
Hospitalized female victims are even called liars.
The latest tactic now is to have the female victims committed and then no one will believe them. I could show you pictures of battered women who got no where in court. Poisoned women got nowhere in court, etc.
All the years of brainwashing has made sure female victims are not believed and as you say cannot be trusted – due to Eve ill Eve leading poor Adam astray and he could never be held accountable in all those 5000 years.
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Hogwash and, unless you are into bible stories, Adam and Eve was myth. Females attract much more sympathy than males especially when it comes to DV. Check this video out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3PgH86OyEM. It’s not the first of its kind. Most men have a tendency to want to protect women. They don’t usually show the same dedication to other men unless they are related in some way.
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Can’t resist a comment! I admire Mr. Williams for many of the things he says, but whether he realises it or not his comments do come across as aggressive towards women on this matter. Surely we can all agree that in some matters, such as prison sentences, women generally seem to be treated more leniently than men. In the Family Courts, ditto at least until recently. In other matters, men have the advantage. These are generalisations and there are notable exceptions. I do hope James Williams does not hate women; hating always hurts the hater more than the hated.
‘Hate the sin but not the sinner’ is a good maxim. Some women indeed cannot be trusted. Some men cannot be trusted. Particularly politicians!
End of lesson. Love and peace, man. And woman.
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Hi Roger, nicely put. In fact much of this is to do with perception. I help out mums and dads inside the system and each gender is convinced they are the only gender ‘under attack’, so to speak. The reality is a little different. I would say the same of prison and sentencing too. Many women have to cope with losing custody or income during incarceration in a way that may not necessarily affect all men. There are a lot of single mums who commit crimes out of desperation and when caught are either sent to prison for the crime or for not being able to pay any related court-imposed fines. They end up losing their kids, and often whatever low paid job they had. It’s hard for everyone. As I’ve mentioned often on this blog, both men and women suffer. To my mind at least, these sorts of discussion work best if we leave our own personal hurt and anguish at the door. And if we can’t do that, try to turn it into something beautiful and worthwhile, which requires some courage, and not a small amount of balance.
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