The murder of Maialen Mazon caused the Ertzaintza to change its protocol on restraining orders

Maialen Mazonin  — pregnant with twins at the time of her death, and her body was found next to her two-year-old daughter — the murder caused dust in the legal and police sphere, where many doubted the protection that the police had given to the victim.

In fact, the Ertzaintza knew from time to time that the victim and the murderer lived together, although the man had at least two complaints — one in Castellón and the other in Torremolinos, both of them for male violence against his wife.

When Maialen returned to the Basque Country, the Ertzaintza contacted him for the first time in January and ten days before he died for the second time. In either case, the woman told the Ertzaintza that she was not in danger and that the restraining order had been accepted by her, as reported by the then Security Adviser, Josu Erkoreka.

In any event, other State Security Forces clarified that violation of a restraining order is a crime in all cases "even if the victim has consented to it".

In addition, Maialen was a "high-risk" victim , according to the VioGen system of the State, which analyses cases related to male violence. However, the Ertzaintza described him as a "low-risk" victim. Apparently, the files of the VioGen system of the National Police and the EVA system of the Ertzaintza did not match.

In response, the Clara Campoamor Association for the Protection of Women Victims of Machismo stated that something had failed and specified that violating a restraining order is always a crime, even in cases where the victim authorizes the offender to do so.

Since then, the Ertzaintza has changed the protocol, and today it never changes the level of risk imposed on the victim in another community, in principle.

Moreover, since the murder of Maialen, the Ertzaintza is obliged to arrest any man who violates the restraining order.