"Wolf pack" trial Spain

[PollyEthel]

Spain 'wolf pack' gang jailed for San Fermin sex attack www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43896880

I can't decide if I'm relieved that at least they've been found guilty of something, or angry that it was decided it wasn't rape. Something from the threads on the Ulster trial comes to mind (and I paraphrase):

Everything we do that is right in terms of staying alive, is wrong in the courtroom.

It's disgusting but I am not surprised

That's awful. She must have been terrified.

How awful. She tried to keep herself safe.

They have been sentenced very lightly - sexual abuse rather than rape. The country is outraged, massive demonstrations on the streets.

As the report says: if this isn't rape, what is?

Sickening and so incredibly sad, they have videos of this and still it is not classed as rape....

I can't imagine what circumstances they would find it was rape if that wasn't

Completely appalling. Reading the article & both prosecution and defence want to appeal?!

Echos of the Belfast rape trial - rape, gloating misogyny of those involved and despite evidence of brutality and harm, not guilty of rape.
One of the accused was a police officer, another a military officer. Patriarchal justice.

Whenever there is something like this, or women being killed in Spain, the streets are always full of people, mainly women, protesting. What is it about the Northern Europeans that don't do this?

We did see thousands of women across Ireland protesting against the verdict and behaviour of the rugby players accused and acquitted of rape in Belfast. It's happening in India too. I think injustices against women will be met with protests more frequently, world wide.

What this verdict said to me was that a woman - just by dint of going out in public - is presumed to have given blanket consent to any kind of sexual activity - even gang-bang sex with groups of hyped up men.

Unless she can show that another person (preferably a man) heard her loudly scream no. Better yet if she has injuries (although it is well recognised in courtrooms that women are injured in consensual sex so that might not help). Of course the No being screamed might well be a scream of pleasure - right?

Better for all the good girls who aren't gagging for sex with groups of men to just stay off the street.

An unexpected benefit of this would be men could do what they want (as if they can't now) with any woman out in public. And women are removed from the public space where they make take jobs from men and are gobby and unpleasant.

Why did the trial take 5 months? That's got to be harrowing in itself.

Stay passive through fear, say no, fight back, the focus always comes back to the woman's actions, not the man/men's.

How on earth could that judge justify wanting to disregard the rape/sexual assault and just prosecute for a stolen phone?

I only heard about this trial today. Oh my god, its horrific. I also wonder how on earth the decision took 5 months! And I so read that one of the judges wanted to throw out all the charges, except theft of her phone.

I wonder how much the Spanish economy depends on tourism? let's not go .

Right at the end of that article:
The victim's lawyer said he was "disappointed" while lawyers for the five men said they would appeal, calling the verdict "unfair".

Woah, appealing the verdict because it was 'unfair'? They got away with pack rape.

Everything we do that is right in terms of staying alive, is wrong in the courtroom.

Ain't it the truth. No justice for women in this male justice system.

Absolutely! I have thought for a while that the only ones who get caught and those who murder the women too. If she's still alive then she's a slut who was asking for it!

I’m in Spain. Everyone’s shocked. The ruling party has made noises about changing the rape laws because of this case which is something. The question keeps going round “are women supposed to fight and get worse injury or even die in order to secure a conviction?” We’re on our fourth day of protests.

Compare it to the almost lifetime jail terms the young Basque men recently for beating up some police in a bar brawl (also in Navarra) and you see a very warped legal system (obviously I don’t condone violence in any form but interesting to see how Spain sees the one where it’s 5 strong men vs one defenseless woman as not as worthy as jail time when it’s 3 basque men vs 2 trained national police officers).