The Victims Assistance Offices (OAV) provides urgent, necessary assistance to women victims. There are out-of-hours offices and telephones so that women can seek help during non-working hours and daytime. There are currently 33 OAVs nationwide. The Victims' Assistance Offices apply the gender- and equity-based assistance model by means of protocols specifying the care that a victim must receive, depending on the nature of the crime and his/her age, sex and ethnicity and individual needs, as a result of the injury sustained. They make psychological assessments and corresponding reports, undertake home visits and produce social work reports. They offer referral to institutions providing programmes of psychological, psychiatric, medical or social care to assist survivors in the process of emotional recovery. Victims are also accompanied at investigatory hearings and trial and post-trial proceedings. The National Network Coordinating Office is responsible for the coordination of inter-institutional programmes. During trial proceedings, OAV reports are treated as expert evidence substantiating the injury caused to the victim as a result of the crime. There is a witness protection programme under which victims are also eligible for the benefits established by the regulations in force.