Denouncing sexual harassment is not a crime

First published in French on L’Affranchi.info
Impunity… that’s what sexual harassers and abusers expect. In Spain – as in many other countries – judges often rule in their favor. The forced kiss imposed on the women’s team striker by Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Federation, is just the tip of the iceberg of a macho and authoritarian “culture” present in many circles. As one post on social networks put it: “If a world champion has to put up with this, imagine a waitress. ”

When a female worker tries to assert her rights by denouncing her hierarchical superior, the situation often backfires. In 2021, in Granada, a sommelier at FRANKFURT’S BOCANEGRA bar denounced the manager who, among other offenses, had sent her a photo of a penis in response to a question about working hours. Supported by the CNT-AIT trade union, the harassment she had suffered was denounced in court, but the judge ruled that the evidence provided was insufficient, and the case is currently under appeal.

Following this initial ruling, the manager and the company filed a complaint against the worker and the union secretary for defamation. Both face fines of 30,000 euros and two years’ imprisonment. CNT-AIT activists, supported by other trade unionists and activists from the Unitary Feminist Assembly, have already set up several “information pickets” in front of the establishment. This mobilization continues.