The rector of the University of Barcelona defends himself in Parliament against criticism for his handling of the Flecha case

BarcelonaThe rector of the University of Barcelona (UB), Joan Guardia, appeared this Tuesday in the Parliament of Catalonia to explain how his institution has handled the complaints. against the emeritus professor of the center itself, Ramon FlechaSeveral parliamentary groups had requested that Guardia answer to the chamber after the university opened an investigation following internal complaints it had received regarding conduct of sexual harassment, psychological coercion, mistreatment and exploitation linked to the professor and his research group, CREA, andwill send a preliminary report to the Prosecutor's Office"There are actions that may constitute a crime, and the Public Prosecutor's Office must intervene. We all hope that justice will act decisively," Guardia stated. "We are not the Public Prosecutor's Office, but we are a university committed to fighting malpractice. And when we have evidence, we impose sanctions," he insisted.

The rector asserted that they received the first evidence of this case in mid-June 2025—Guardia has been rector of the UB since 2020—when some lawyers requested information from the university. In July, the letter that 14 people sent to the parish priest denouncing this conduct was leaked to the media, and the university suspended Flecha as a precautionary measure. According to Guardia's timeline, an independent commission began its work in September, and in December they sent the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The provisional conclusions of this commission also led to the suspension of two professors and an honorary professor, in addition to the precautionary suspension of Flecha, announced a few months prior. Guardia stated that the protocol was applied with "all legal guarantees." This preliminary report already pointed to the existence of a "high-control coercive group" and was sent before the eleven planned statements were completed. "It wasn't necessary to wait for all the statements to be received before taking action," Guardia warned, adding that she was pleased that this commission had been able to create a climate of "trust" for the plaintiffs, whose numbers have grown over time. In this regard, Guardia defended the University of Barcelona and promised that the institution's name would not be used "for nefarious purposes." "Of course, the name of the University of Barcelona opens doors. And that's why the UB will present itself as a private prosecutor," the rector insisted, and recalled that CREA ceased to be an internal research structure of the UB in May 2015.

"Why wasn't action taken sooner?"

However, most parliamentary groups have criticized the fact that this case has been ongoing for years and that, until now, the university has not taken decisive action. "This issue has been on the table for 20 years. There has been a certain degree of impunity," stated Susana Segovia, a member of parliament for Comuns, one of the groups that requested Guardia's appearance. There were already internal complaints in 2004 and 2016, which the University of Barcelona also sent to the Public Prosecutor's Office, but they were ultimately dismissed. However, compared to the 2004 and 2016 complaints, there is a key difference this time: the previous complaints concerned alleged sectarian behavior by the group, while this one concerns the sexual relationships that Flecha allegedly had with students, interns, and staff under his supervision.

"We believe this institutional apparatus has failed before 2025," criticized Xavi Pellicer, a CUP deputy—who also requested Guardia's appearance—and insisted that the University of Barcelona could have gone further internally even though the criminal case had been dismissed. "There had been warnings for some time about a systematic abuse of power. How could there have been no action sooner?" Mar Besses (ERC) also asked. "What remedial measures have been taken?" the Republican deputy insisted.

Guardia responded that the two previous complaints were dismissed by the Public Prosecutor's Office, but also internally by the university. However, he wanted to make it clear that the internal protocol has changed since then. "Fortunately, everyone, including the Parliament, has improved," the rector said. "Did the University of Barcelona do anything? Of course it did. Times and protocols have changed," Guardia continued, insisting that they will file a private prosecution if the case moves forward. She also specified that the alleged events date back to 2012, 2013, and 2014, and that most of the plaintiffs have not been affiliated with the UB "for years." "What will happen now? We will wait for justice to take its course. When it is our turn, when the commission finishes its work, we will act," Guardia concluded.

"It was an outcry"

In the same parliamentary session, Trinidad Donoso, representative of the UB Feminist Assembly, appeared and recalled that up to 400 people endorsed the statement they issued to bring attention to this case: "It was an outcry. Many people knew about it," she warned. Donoso has asked the UB to continue its investigation through its internal commission, as she maintains that the CREA is still within the university: "It was divided into three research groups, and all the strategies and techniques for its operation remain within the university." Donoso went beyond this specific case and asserted that some CREA professors "do not adhere to the teaching plan and explain elements that lack scientific rigor," that the research does not pass the necessary academic controls, and that the group's staff have "unacceptable" CVs.