Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Spanish cities yesterday after a Spanish court acquitted five men of gang rape of a teenage girl during the 2016 San Fermin bullfighting festival in Pamplona. A court in Navarre, northern Spain, has convicted men who videotaped the attack on their mobile phones and then laughed at the incident on a Whatsapp group for the crime of sexual assault, which carries lower sentences.
The decision immediately sparked a storm of criticism and anger. Thousands rallied in cities across Spain, from Seville to Barcelona and outside the Ministry of Justice in Madrid, holding placards reading "I believe in you, sister" and shouting "No attack, no rape". In Madrid, men and women flooded the streets shouting “Shame! Shame!" and "xhi means xhi!". In Barcelona, thousands of people flooded the city's main square, banging pans and pots and waving their keys in the air. The trial of the so-called "Herd of Wolves" had already provoked strong reactions in Spain, as well as concerns about the growing incidence of sexual assault at the annual festival and the mistreatment of women in general. However, it had attracted the attention of the international community, as it played a role in the general concern about the incidents of sexual abuse of women after the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Following a five-month closed-door trial to protect the victim's identity, the judge read the decision in a Navarre court. The prosecutor had requested the imposition of prison sentences of more than 5 years for each of the accused. However, they were sentenced to nine years in prison. Under Spanish law, the charge of sexual assault differs from that of rape as it does not involve violence or intimidation.
This accusation is usually made in cases of sexual intercourse between underage partners or persons who cannot consent to sexual intercourse, such as persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Politicians from all parties condemned the decision. "As a citizen and as a father, I find it difficult to understand this decision," tweeted Albert Rivera, leader of the Ciudadanos party. "It's like telling the victims that if you do not put up with five criminals twice your size, putting your life in danger, it is not rape," said Pablo Iglesias, leader of the Podemos party. The Navarre regional government is expected to appeal the decision. The five men, including a former police officer and a former soldier, and the victim, who was under 18 when she was attacked, were not present in court. The men, as the Spanish media called the "Herd of Wolves" after their Whatsapp team, have been in custody since July 2016. The judge, who did not explain the reasoning of the decision, also ordered the defendants to pay the victim compensation of 50.000 euros. LET