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FIFTEEN MEN HAVE been arrested for rape and sexual assault at Spain’s famed San Fermin bull-running festival in the northern town of Pamplona.
The nine-day festival, which began on 6 July and ends Thursday, mixes concerts, daily bull runs and round-the-clock drinking.
It has become infamous for reports of sexual assaults, including men groping women’s breasts at the opening party known as the “Chupinazo”.
Pamplona city officials have in recent years launched various initiatives to curb such assaults at the fiesta, which was immortalised in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises.
Police have received 15 complaints of assault so far this year, including six for “sexual aggression” which under Spain’s penal code includes rape. The other complaints were for the lesser charge of “sexual abuse”.
A total of 15 men were arrested, city hall said in a statement.
Two of the suspects have since been released without charge and one of the complaints has been shelved.
A 22-year-old French woman filed a complaint with police for rape on Saturday. According to Spanish media reports she was attacked in the bathroom of a car park.
A 19-year-old woman told police she had been raped in the early hours of Thursday in the doorway of a building in central Pamplona by five men who filmed the attack with a mobile phone.
Five men have been arrested in connection with that assault.
Thousands of people, wearing the festival’s traditional red neckerchiefs and white clothes, gathered outside Pamplona city hall on last night to protest against sexual attacks against women.
They held their hands up in a “stop” gesture or carried red signs reading “No is no”.
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Sexual violence breaks out at annual psycopathic animal cruelty festival.
@Diana this comment, so much.
I wonder will they blame the refugees.
Of course! Eu citizens aren’t capable of sexual violence.
I’m sure they’ll try!
If refugees turn out to be responsible, wouldn’t that be wholly appropriate?
Probably just like the Swedes are trying to blame migrants for a spate of rapes and sexual assaults at an anti-racism music festival in Borlänge last weekend. Smh!
Interesting… rather then condemn the sexual assaults and offer their sympathies to the victims some peoples very first reaction is to defend the “refugees”, as if acts of savagery by one group somehow negates acts of savagery by a yet undefined other group…
But of course it immediately brings to mind the stories of assault at a German festival – and yet nobody on here is asking if they were Spanish and assuming if so labelling them Christians. Stereotyping is not useful and it instigates hatred. If I wanted to stereotype people (which I do NOT) I could point out that one thing we can pretty much guarantee in all these cases is that they are likely to be men! Yet nobody calls for a curfew on men or for all men to be deported.
And they say the irish are big drinkers! At least we have respect for women and know how to behave those spanish are just plain crazy.
We do do we?
Well let’s see, just today on this site a 15 year old was practically blamed for being sexually assaulted by a footballer, women were called gold diggers for starting divorce proceedings (54% women versus 46% men) and the men weren’t mentioned and then don’t get me started on the comments section for the new Ghostbusters movie!! Of course I must also mention there are many intelligent rational men on here too.
Not to mention the hate speech on the Theresa May and Black Lives articles. The Journal has become a neo Nazi Misogynist hang out. What a great advert for our country.
Don’t you mean free speech? Hate speech is simply just your personal feelings and a weak excuse to get offended for other people. The black lives matter group are well able to defend themselves I’m sure. If you expressed your dislike for noodles I could easily label it as hate speech because I love the delicious n word. Noodles!
Bit sexist there Deborah, you’re implying that all the female comments on this site are rational and logical! Which most of them are. And the men. And whatever you’re having yourself on a particular day.
Hang on, by not agreeing with her Spilt Pint, you’re running the risk of being labelled a misogynist. Your comment will be taken as proof she’s right. ;)
@who’s I’m merely a spilt beverage in this crazy world, nobody should cry over me
F off Gerry how do you know the suspects were Spanish? These events are always full of tourists so don’t go blaming the Spanish when you have no proof you idiot!
Too much taurine
Shut the madness Down!
Another cock n bull story
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