① Sexual Harassment During a Live Broadcast
Police arrested a man who approached a female reporter during a live broadcast in Spain and touched her buttocks.
On the 13th of last month, reporter Isa Balado of Cuatro Television was covering a robbery on a street in Madrid. While the reporter was holding the microphone, a man approached from behind and asked, “Which channel are you from?” while touching Balado’s buttocks.
The news anchor in the studio asked, “Did that man just touch her buttocks?” Balado confirmed, “Yes,” and requested, “Please show that man on the screen.”
Balado confronted the man, asking, “Why did you touch my buttocks? I was in the middle of my work.”
The man denied it, pretending not to know, saying, “I did not touch.” This situation was being recorded live. When the camera operator said he would report to the police, the man finally apologized, saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch the buttocks.”
However, he left the scene, touching Balado’s head this time.
When the incident came to light, the Spanish police announced they had arrested the man on charges of sexual violence. The Spanish police posted a video on social media that showed officers handcuffing the man and taking him away. The Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, left a message on social media saying, “Non-consensual physical contact is sexual violence, and we can sufficiently punish it.”
Before this incident, there was an incident where Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (REEF), forcibly kissed a player at the Women’s World Cup award ceremony. This sparked outrage against Spain’s macho culture.
At the time, President Rubiales said, “I submitted my resignation to the current acting president of the Spanish Football Federation,” and “I will also step down from the position of vice president of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations).” He received a 90-day suspension from FIFA, and the Spanish prosecutor launched a preliminary investigation into whether it was a sexual crime.
② Female Tourist Gang-raped
In August, a female tourist was gang-raped on the famous Spanish tourist island of Majorca. Five French male tourists in their 20s and one Swiss male tourist in the southwestern city of Magaluf gang-raped an 18-year-old female tourist.
The woman was found crying loudly on the street in front of the hotel, pleading for help. A security team member of the hotel found the woman and immediately reported it to the police. The police arrested all six suspects and found a video filmed during the rape.
They met the woman at a party, drank alcohol, and then lured her to a hotel room to rape her. They moved to the hotel because the area is subject to a ‘Tourist Drunkenness Prevention Law,’ which prohibits the sale of alcohol from 9:30 PM to 8:00 AM the next day. The men arrested for rape are currently in jail. In Spain, if convicted of gang rape, you can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
A month before this incident, another gang rape occurred on Majorca Island. Six German male tourists in their 20s were arrested for gang-raping an 18-year-old German female tourist at a hotel on Palma beach.
At the time, the woman met one of the male perpetrators while playing on the beach with her friends and followed him to a hotel room after drinking together. In her statement to the police, the woman said she found five more men drinking there when she arrived at the hotel room. She tried to leave, but they prevented her from doing so.
Controversy arose as this was the second gang rape on Majorca Island within a month.
③ Warning of Pickpocketing for Tourists
Spain has seen its number of foreign visitors recover to 90% of pre-COVID-19 levels. However, with the boom in tourism, pickpocketing has begun to flourish.
The Korean Consulate in Barcelona stated that 90% of crimes against Koreans in Barcelona are simple thefts, such as pickpocketing. They urged tourists to be cautious of their safety, such as keeping their belongings close and being wary of strangers through their website.
Barcelona, Spain, has been notorious for pickpocketing crimes even before COVID-19. In 2018, there were 12 pickpocketing incidents per hour. The Barcelona City Hall has announced crime prevention measures. Barcelona plans to deploy 12% more police officers in the city than last year and increase the number of undercover and uniformed police officers. They announced plans to pay more attention to famous tourist spots.
When traveling in Spain, you should be more careful with your belongings and be cautious when strangers approach. Also, be careful not to fall for fake undercover police officers.
By. Kim Minjae (minjaaie33@mememedia.co.kr)
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