2 days Ago By ARA
Judges and prosecutors unanimously condemned the First Vice President of the Spanish government, María Jesús Montero. In a statement released this Monday, all the relevant associations condemned the PSOE minister. of sexual assault and criticized the footballer's presumption of innocence as "above" the victim's witness.
"It is essential that institutions and public representatives respect and support the work of judges and magistrates, avoiding comments that could undermine confidence in our judicial system," the group of judges and prosecutors responded. The statement opens a new front between the Moncloa and the judges, who have already maintained a tense relationship since the beginning of the legislature: initially due to the amnesty law and then due to the multiple cases surrounding Pedro Sánchez's entourage, such as the investigation into his wife and businesswoman, Begoña Gómez. The statement from the judges and prosecutors regarding Montero's statements defends that "judicial resolutions are adopted after an exhaustive analysis of the evidence presented," referring to Alves' acquittal.
In this sense, it asserts the "fundamental right" to the presumption of innocence. - and considers that "questioning this basic principle could jeopardize procedural guarantees and fairness in trials." "We recognize the importance of protecting and supporting victims," the associations state, but add that this must "coexist with respect for the fundamental rights of the accused, ensuring a balance that guarantees justice in each specific case.
" For all these reasons, judges and prosecutors urge "all public representatives to exercise maximum responsibility in their demonstrations, especially when they refer to judicial decisions. Criticism of judicial rulings is legitimate, but must be substantiated and contextualized, as otherwise it can erode public confidence in institutions and endanger the state." The text is signed by the Professional Association of the Judiciary; the Francisco de Vitoria Judicial Association; Judges for Democracy; the Independent Judicial Forum; the Association of Prosecutors; the Progressive Union of Prosecutors; and the Professional and Independent Association of Prosecutors.
Montero wasn't the only public representative to criticize the acquittal, although she was probably the most forceful. Equality Minister Ana Redondo lamented that "once again, the victim is being questioned; once again, a man's word prevails over a woman's." She had a media appearance scheduled for this Monday but canceled it.
Equality and Feminism Minister Eva Menor expressed her concern that the justice system "repeatedly questions the credibility" of victims of gender-based violence. Albiol calls her "illiterate." The words of the Spanish vice president, who will also be the Socialist candidate in the next Andalusian elections (2026), have also sparked controversy in the political sphere.
The mayor of Badalona, the Popular Party member Xavier García Albiol, went so far as to call her "illiterate" on Sunday. "These statements are typical of an illiterate person. The problem for all of us is that this woman is the vice president of the government," he wrote in a message on the social network X.
"The mixture of ignorance, power, and arrogance is explosive," he added. On the other hand, the Spanish government delegate in the Valencian Community and Secretary of Equality for the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Pilar Bernabé, supported Montero on Monday upon her arrival at the Socialist executive meeting in Ferraz. "It's a very difficult ruling to digest; we must respect it, but it is very difficult to digest," Bernabé argued, insisting that the TSJC's decision "does not help" other victims of gender-based violence to come forward.
Peinado makes moves against Bolaños On the other hand, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado rejected the request of the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, to testify in writing as a witness in the case investigating the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister, Begoña Gómez, a hearing scheduled for April 16. In a ruling reported by Europa Press, Peinado argues that Bolaños has an "erroneous" interpretation of the Procedural Law. He points out that it is "true" that as a member of the Spanish government, he has the right to report in writing on the facts of which he has knowledge by virtue of his position, but emphasizes that the facts about which he must testify date back to his time as Secretary General of the Presidency.
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