The legal action by the City Council is based on a report detailing the harm caused by the attack and the costs of mobilising human resources to cover emergency needs and guarantee public safety on the day itself and the days that followed. The report also notes that the city’s international standing has been harmed.

“Besides defending the city’s specific material and immaterial interests, the proceedings are mainly also about support for victims and for everyone who feels hurt. It’s also about accessing information and making sure that everything which needs investigating is followed up on, that everything than needs clarifying is cleared up, and that responsibility is identified”, explained the Mayor, Ada Colau.

Apart from the private case bought, the City Council has asked to act as popular prosecutor as well. The attack is considered as having a huge impact on general interests and those of the city’s inhabitants as a whole.

Preserving collective memory

Six months on, work continues to list and catalogue the objects and documents left in La Rambla as a sign of mourning in the days that followed the attack. The work is being coordinated by the Commissioner’s Office for Memory Programmes, along with the MUHBA (home to the collections centre), the Barcelona Municipal Contemporary Archive, the Area of Communication and the Ciutat Vella District Office.

The idea is for the register of documents and objects, properly described and put into context, to be published for the first anniversary of the attacks via the No tinc por website.

Ongoing psychological support

The psychological care services run by the Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (CUESB) went into operation from the very first moment, attending to victims and their families, a task which is still being performed.

The Barcelona Mental Health Board, made up of the City Council and entities working in this sphere in the city, organised a series of workshops to share difficult situations and resources to help manage emotions suitably. The workshops are designed to help people get over difficult situations by sharing resources and practical advice on how to achieve one’s own emotional wellbeing.

Six months on from the attack

Training has been given to nearly two hundred people, basically professionals who are in contact with people who may have suffered after-effects, particularly in the districts of Ciutat Vella and L’Eixample. The professionals who received training are from primary healthcare centres (CAP), social services, City Police and Mossos d’Esquadra police officers and others. The training was conducted in conjunction with the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona Health Consortium (CSB).

Given the need for more intense care, three psycho-educational groups and a therapy group have been set up. In addition, the Unit of Trauma, Crisis and Conflicts of Barcelona at the UAB has set up a freephone number (900 101 580) to offer appropriate care in each case.

Training is also planned for people who work in a chemist’s. The idea is to reach the city’s entire population and to this end an information leaflet has been produced in six languages to explain the psycho-educational sessions being run. The leaflet will be available in all city chemist’s and has been agreed on with the Pharmaceutical Association.