The former head of the National Police denies sexually assaulting a female officer and accuses him of "evil, meanness and hatred"

MadridThe former head of the National Police reported by a female officer for sexual assault He vehemently denies the allegations. "I was able to prove my innocence," José Ángel González told reporters as he left the courthouse. The former Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the Spanish National Police, who resigned in August 2018 after being summoned to testify and the complaint becoming public, accused the officer of "malice, meanness, and hatred," and reproached him for "ruining his personal, family, and professional life." The complainant's lawyer, Jorge Piedrafita, recounted that during his testimony before the judge, the former DAO accused the alleged victim of "stopping a trap" and labeled her "jealous, hysterical, and crazy." Legal sources told ARA that, regarding the alleged incident, González justified his actions by saying that while she was telling him no, he was gesturing that she was. He also maintained that they only exchanged kisses and hugs and asserted that she consented at all times and that he never ordered her to do anything. Furthermore, he framed the sexual encounter as a "game."

Before the former DAO testified, the alleged victim reaffirmed her complaint. Her lawyer explained that the testimony was "tough, difficult, and very detailed" and served to "verify all the points she was asked about with enormous truthfulness." The agent's defense requested a restraining order prohibiting José Ángel González from communicating with her, but Judge David Maman rejected it: "There is no apparent risk. The accused has neither approached her nor communicated with her since July, and it does not appear [...] that any pressure could be exerted on the complainant," he argued.

José Ángel González was reported for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in April 2025 at an official residence owned by the Ministry of the Interior. The alleged victim was subsequently coerced into not reporting the incident. The officer included an audio recording of the alleged rape with his complaint—the main piece of evidence—and the former Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) has tried to discredit—and the judge considered that the reported events gave rise to a presumption of "the existence of sexual assault crimes." In fact, the audio—which the former head of the Spanish police has neither challenged nor questioned—has been the focus of much of the questioning, during which excerpts from the recording have been played.

At one point, the former Deputy Director of Operations—who has only answered questions from his defense and the prosecution—claimed that he did not hear the sound of the victim's zipper, but the judge countered that even he could hear it "perfectly." "He has denied things that can be heard in the audio, he has been erratic, and he has been cornered at times," summarized the complainant's lawyer. For his part, José Ángel González is confident that the audio will allow them to "clarify the facts and learn the truth." His lawyer, José Carlos Velasco, believes that "if people really knew the content of the audio, they would radically change their opinions."

The former head of the Spanish police arrived at the courthouse 45 minutes before his scheduled appearance in a black van, accompanied by his lawyers. Upon arrival, he said he was "calm" and shook off the throng of journalists and cameras surrounding him. A short time earlier, the complainant's lawyer had arrived on foot, and the officer had entered through a side door to avoid being seen. The complainant was the first to testify, and her testimony lasted more than two hours. He testified for about 40 minutes. Inside the courthouse, a security protocol was in place to prevent the two from encountering each other. "The operation was excellent and worked perfectly; neither the victim nor the aggressor saw each other at any time," Jorge Piedrafita remarked.

"Unequivocal, clear and persistent" negatives

The complaint, to which ARA had access, stated that the former Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) initiated a "physical approach of a sexual nature" that was "rejected" verbally, expressly, categorically, and repeatedly by the victim, who gave "unequivocal, clear, and persistent" refusals. However, according to the document, the former DAO allegedly began "aggressive behavior of a sexual nature" characterized by "physical violence" and "environmental intimidation." The complainant acknowledged that she had maintained a "romantic relationship" with González. According to her, the relationship was characterized from the beginning by a "manifest asymmetry of institutional power" and by a dynamic of "control, domination, and psychological submission." The relationship ended by the woman's "unilateral" decision, something that, according to the complaint, González "did not accept." At that point, he allegedly began an "obsessive pattern of harassment and unwanted contact" that culminated in the alleged sexual assault.

Days after the lawsuit became public, José Ángel González's defense team filed a brief trying to discredit the audio of the alleged rapeHe argued that the recording "does not support" the complainant's account, but rather contains elements that "denote" a "previous personal relationship of trust" in which "complicity, intimate treatment, and mutual verbal interaction are evident." He further justified that the conversation showed an "emotional dynamic" that was "incompatible" with the "alleged scenario of violence" and considered that the audio demonstrated that there was no "scenario of pressure," but rather an "outburst of jealousy," a "clear demand for attention," and a "demand for exclusivity." He also asserted that José Ángel González offered her permission to leave his home on two occasions: "You can leave. I've never used you. Go, go whenever you want."