Members of 'la Manada' Reduce Their Sentences Thanks to Montero's 'only Yes Is Yes' Law

The Provincial Court of Navarra has decided to reduce the sentence of José Ángel Prenda and Jesús Escudero from 15 to 14 years. These are two of the five sentenced for the group sexual assault that occurred during the Sanfermines of 2016 in Pamplona. Members of the case known as La Manada.

In their rulings, the court argues that it is "legally obliged" to follow the criterion established by the Supreme Court, which previously applied a similar reduction to the sentence of Ángel Boza, the first of the convicted to request this review.

The legislative reform, known as the "Only Yes Is Yes" Law, was promoted in 2022 under the leadership of Irene Montero. The then Minister of Equality modified the classification of sexual offenses, unifying them under the category of sexual assault. Although this law was partly driven by the La Manada case, it had dire consequences.

Specifically, the reduction of sentences in more than a thousand cases related to rapes, abuses, and pedophilia offenses.

In this context, the sentences imposed on the accused exceeded the legal minimum by two years. Therefore, the Civil and Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra reduced Boza's sentence from 15 to 14 years.

However, it had a dissenting vote.

The Supreme Court ratified this decision in July 2024. As a result, at the beginning of this month, the defense lawyer for Prenda and Escudero filed appeals. These aimed to request the same reduction in their sentences.

The Second Section of the Provincial Court, which at the time issued the first sentence in this case, forwarded the appeals to the parties involved to express their arguments. The prosecutor in charge of the case considered that the reduction should be applied since the Supreme Court's criterion should be followed uniformly.

However, the victim, through the private prosecution, opposed. Also, the Government of Navarra and the City Council of Pamplona, acting as popular prosecution, expressed their opposition to the measure. Despite this, the Court, aligning with the Prosecutor's position, decided to proceed with the reduction of the sentences.

Scandals Grow for Podemos

UCM Avoids Another Scandal and Removes Monedero After Being Accused of Sexual Harassment.

Juan Carlos Monedero will not teach again at the Complutense University of Madrid. This decision is due to a sexual harassment complaint filed by a student. The faculty has decided to remove the professor from the courses "Contemporary Political Theory" and "Theory and Practice of Democracies."

The Student Delegation of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology expressed its "logical concern" about the information related to Monedero. In response, the university has opted to suspend him temporarily until further notice.

From the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, it has been indicated that they are working to have these courses taught by a substitute. The goal is to ensure that academic activity proceeds normally in the coming weeks.

Monedero has been at the center of controversy following the opening of a reserved report by the Complutense University. This process was activated after receiving a complaint from a student for alleged sexual harassment. However, the details of when the complaint was formalized are unknown.

The corresponding protocol has been activated, and the investigation is being led by Isabel Tajahuerce, the rector's delegate for Equality. Due to its confidential nature, it has not been revealed at what stage the process is.

It has been reported that Podemos, the party co-founded by Monedero, decided to remove him from his political activity after receiving testimonies about alleged episodes of sexual violence. This decision has caused reactions in various sectors of society.

Complaints can be sent to the Equality Unit or referred to this service if presented to the rectorate or the deanships. This action mechanism has been available since 2016 in an effort to effectively address complaints of sexual and sexist harassment.