Alves' acquittal opens a new clash between the Moncloa and the judges.

BarcelonaJudges and prosecutors unanimously condemned the First Vice President of the Spanish government, María Jesús Montero. In a statement on Monday, all the relevant associations condemned the PSOE minister. He called the verdict that acquitted Dani Alves a "shame" of sexual assault and criticized the fact that the footballer's presumption of innocence is "above" the victim's witness. "It is essential that institutions and public representatives respect and support the work of judges and magistrates, and avoid comments that could undermine confidence in our judicial system," the group of judges and prosecutors responded. This Tuesday, the General Council of the Judiciary joined in, warning politicians that they must "balance their legitimate right to criticism with preserving citizens' trust in institutions."

The position of the judicial leadership and the associations opens a new front for the Moncloa government with the judges, who have already maintained a tense relationship since the beginning of the legislature: initially due to the amnesty law and then due to the multiple cases surrounding Pedro Sánchez's entourage, such as the investigation. The statement from judges and prosecutors regarding Montero's statements maintains that "judicial decisions are made after a thorough analysis of the evidence," referring to Alves' acquittal.

In this regard, it asserts the "fundamental right" to the presumption of innocence.The TSJC concluded that the "standards" to guarantee it in the case of the soccer player had not been "exceeded"– and believes that questioning it "could jeopardize procedural guarantees and fairness in trials." "We recognize the importance of protecting and supporting victims," the associations state, but add that this must coexist with respect for the rights of the accused. Along the same lines, the CGPJ "trusts the professionalism and technical capacity" of the judges, both those from the Barcelona Court of Appeals who convicted Alves and those from the TSJC (High Court of Justice) who acquitted him. "We offer our full support regardless of the meaning of their decisions," the CGPJ members state.

For all these reasons, judges and prosecutors call on public representatives to exercise "maximum responsibility" when criticizing rulings and to do so in a "contextualized" manner. The text is signed by the Professional Association of the Judiciary; the Francisco de Vitoria Judicial Association; Judges for Democracy; the Independent Judicial Forum; the Association of Prosecutors; the Progressive Union of Prosecutors; and the Professional and Independent Association of Prosecutors.

Political criticism

The words of the vice president and Socialist candidate in the upcoming Andalusian elections have also sparked controversy in the political sphere. The mayor of Badalona, ​​the Popular Party member Xavier García Albiol, went so far as to call her "illiterate" this Sunday and asserted that her speech demonstrates a mixture of "ignorance, power, and arrogance." These statements The Catalan PP has made its own. But, far from retracting her statement, Montero has come out to defend herself against criticism from the Popular Party (PP), whom she has accused of distorting her words. "What I meant to say and what I maintain is that the presumption of innocence should not prevent us from expressing our rejection of the systematic questioning of women who are victims," she told X. In the face of the uproar, however, sources at Ferraz cited by Europa Press attributed the statements to her. And, although they avoid amending her page, they admit that she could have explained herself better. Shortly after, Montero herself wrote a tweet qualifying her words and clarifying that, "beyond the way it is expressed," the underlying debate is that undermining the credibility of the victims' testimony leads to creating spaces of impunity for the aggressors.

However, Montero was not the only public representative to criticize the acquittal. The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, and the Minister for Equality and Feminism, Eva Menor, also criticized the ruling. Menor expressed her concern that the justice system "repeatedly questions the credibility" of the victims. This Monday, Junts added its support, asserting that it represents "a setback in the fight against sexual violence" and that it is necessary to "stand by the victims."

Peinado makes a move against Bolaños

On the judicial front, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado rejected the request of the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, to testify in writing as a witness in the case investigating Begoña Gómez, a hearing scheduled for April 16. Peinado argues that Bolaños has made an "erroneous" interpretation of the law of criminal prosecution. While acknowledging that as a member of the Spanish government, he has the right to report in writing on the facts of which he has knowledge by virtue of his position, he emphasizes that the case in which he must testify dates from the time he was Secretary General of the Presidency.

Still in the series of cases involving the PSOE, Supreme Court Judge Ángel Hurtado has ruled out the involvement of former Moncloa advisor Pilar Sánchez Acera in the leak of the email in which Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner admitted to tax fraud. However, she warned of "cracks" in her narrative, with unsatisfying responses. Sánchez Acera, currently the organization secretary of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) in Madrid, appeared as a witness on March 12 in the case investigating the State Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz, for alleged disclosure of secrets. She was the one who sent the email to former Socialist leader in Madrid, Juan Lobato, for use in a speech before the Madrid Assembly.