The Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality is considering asking the Interior Ministry to transfer the bodyguards no longer needed to protect public figures in the Basque Country and other parts of Spain

The police trade union (Sindicato Unificado de Policía - SUP) estimates that Spain currently has one police officer for every five victims of domestic violence considered to be at risk and in need of protection, whereas there are in the region of 10,000 police officers and civil guards employed as bodyguards for public figures.

As a result of the permanent ceasefire announced by ETA in October last year, a large number of these bodyguards are no longer needed in the Basque country and can now be re-assigned to other duties, so health minister, Ana Mato (pictured) is going to "look into how many officers could be available to protect victims of domestic violence".

On Tuesday, Mato initiated discussions about the possibility of hiring private security guards for those victims considered at risk and in need of protection, a plan that could still be carried out if a re-assignment of available police officers were not sufficient to cover current needs across the country.

It was the SUP that first suggested, to Aznar's last Interior Minister, Ángel Acebes, the idea of creating a corps of officers dedicated to protecting victims of domestic violence.  It was hoped that a team of 5,000 officers, organised intocivil protection patrols "with their own vehicles" would keep an eye "not only on the women, but also on their aggressors".