Public Opinion About a Rape

Last year a group of men raped a youg woman in the San Fermín festivities in Pamplona. These festivities are very famous because of the running of the bulls. Many people from all over the world go to Pamplona to party, and there are always many crimes from sexual harassment to fights and ethylic coma.

For some reason this case has been in the Spanish public awareness since it happened. The polemic has been hard, even with those who said that the woman accepted to have sex with the men, and only after she felt sorry about it.

Personally, I am not very interested in this media shows about crimes. I belive justice has to do its work, and I dont think having it in the TV every day helps to anyone.

But Pablo Iglesias, the leader of the left-winged party Podemos has a different opinion, and he as a political party leader has said that these men should go to jail. Well, if they have really commited a rape, the justice will decide, and then we can have our own opinion. But being a political leader giving your opinion about these cases only helps to discredit the justice.

It is not someone giving opinion in a bar, it is a political leader telling the judges what they should do.

I am really worried about how democratic institutions are being discredited in all Europe lately, but the fact that we see it as a normal thing, worries me even more.

By the way, this Pablo Iglesias said he was very happy when Arnaldo Otegui left the prison. Otegui is a man that was in prison because of the kidnapping of a business man and after that was also convicted for exalting terrorism, taking that into consideration I doubt Pablo Iglesias will be happy when these rapists leave prison in the future.

It seems his opinion about when someone should be free or in prison relies more in their political opinion than on the crime they have suppousedly commited.

But don't get me wrong. What Pablo Iglesias does is not very different from many other politicians nowadays. I dont think this is a bad behavior exclusive from the left wing. No matter the politic intent (left or right) it seems that discredit institutions is winning votes. Bad news for democracy.