Spain: Gang rape verdicts spur 3rd day of Pamplona protests

Aritz Parra
Madrid, Spain.- Tens of thousands of people have marched in northern Spain for a third consecutive day to protest the acquittal of five men on gang rape charges. Local police in Pamplona estimated the size of the crowd at Saturday’s march was 35,000.

An 18-year-old woman was attacked during the city’s famed San Fermin bull-running festival in 2016. The five men, whose members named their WhatsApp group “The Pack,” were convicted Thursday on a lesser felony of sexual abuse and sentenced to nine years each in prison. Lawyers say the victim is appealing.

The court’s decision has also prompted thousands of women to share their experiences of abuse on Twitter under the hashtag #cuentalo, Spanish for #tell it. The Spanish government has announced plans to convene discussions on possible legal reforms.

The court heard that the men, who denied wrongdoing, “pushed” the woman into a deserted hallway and told her to “shut up” before all engaging in sexual activity with her. She “adopted a passive, submissive stance” because she felt trapped and afraid, according to the sentencing document. One of the men took her phone from her bag before they left her there.