"I idealised him": Valls councillor arrested for sexually abusing minors

BarcelonaCatalan police arrested deputy mayor and Culture councillor at Valls Town Council Marc Ayala yesterday afternoon, accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old. Ayala, who is also a member of the Tarragona Provincial Council, is 33 and will appear before Valls investigating court in the coming hours. Seven years ago, according to RAC1, he sexually abused a 13-yeaer-old. After this was reported to the police, Ayala was arrested for a crime against sexual freedom.

ARA had been investigating this case for some time. In fact, more than one person has been affected. Ayala initiated relationships with the teenagers at the town's theatre group, where he came into contact with them and established a bond of trust. Thus, for example, apart from the reported case, he also abused a 14-year-old he met during the rehearsals for the Valls's live nativity scene. For some time, Ayala abused this child sexually at his home, when he was already a town councillor. "When we left, he would tell me 'don't say anything'," the boy recalls, now an adult, in statements to ARA newspaper. The events began around 2014 and dragged on for many months.

During lockdown, after seeing a social media post that discussed abuse of power, the victim began to think back to what happened at the time. He became worried as he noticed how closely the situation resembled his own. He understood "it was not normal" an adult person like the Valls councillor "abused a child". "I idealised him," he admits now, in hindsight, having also learnt that he was not the only person affected. In fact, two of the victims know each other.