In Madrid, Spain, one of the five men convicted in the infamous Wolf Pack gang rape case has had his sentence reduced due to flaws in the rape legislation introduced after the public outcry following the 2016 incident. The attack occurred during Pamplona’s bull-running festival when the men assaulted an 18-year-old woman, recorded the assault, and shared images of it in a WhatsApp group called “La Manada,” or the Wolf Pack.
The case shocked Spain, leading to nationwide protests and the enactment of the “Only Yes Is Yes” rape law, which emphasizes the need for explicit consent for sexual activity. However, this law contained a loophole that resulted from merging sexual abuse and sexual assault crimes, leading to lighter minimum sentences for certain sexual offenses.
As a result of this loophole, 1,155 sex offenders have received sentence reductions, with 117 being released from prison. Angel Boza, one of the Wolf Pack rapists, had his sentence reduced from 15 years to 14, a decision that has sparked controversy.
Feminists and left-wing politicians criticized the court’s decision to reduce Boza’s sentence, while conservative politicians blamed Spain’s left-wing government for proposing the “Only Yes Is Yes” law.
Teresa Hermida, the lawyer for the victim in the Wolf Pack case, expressed her client’s pain and sadness over the decision and announced plans to appeal the court’s ruling, attributing the sentence reduction to the flawed sexual consent law.
In 2018, the Wolf Pack members were initially convicted of sexual abuse instead of rape because the court ruled that the victim had not resisted out of fear. This prompted protests demanding harsher sentences and a change in the law. In 2019, the Spanish Supreme Court overturned the verdict, sentencing the men to 15 years for rape.
Last year, Spain’s left-wing coalition government introduced the law on sexual consent, which redefined all non-consensual sex as rape, but the earlier loophole still affected some convicted criminals.
Despite subsequent amendments, Spanish law favors the most favorable criminal disposition for the defendant. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has apologized for the harm caused to victims of sexual offenses.
Feminist activists emphasized that the court’s decision to reduce Boza’s sentence did not provide the necessary reparation for the victim and argued against blaming the “Only Yes Is Yes” law for the controversy.
Left-wing politicians blamed the judges for the reduced sentences, while conservative leaders criticized the government’s handling of sexual assault cases.
The ruling of the Navarre court can be appealed at the Supreme Court.