'Manada' gang-rape victim to appeal 'lenient' sentence
Monday, April 30, 2018 @ 1:59 AM
THE young woman who was gang-raped by the self-styled 'Manada' or 'Herd' at Pamplona's Sanfermínes festival in 2016 has announced she will appeal against the lenient sentence awarded to the five men who lured her away and filmed themselves taking advantage of her.
All over the world, outraged support for the anonymous victim – who was just 18 at the time – has filled newspaper headlines, news programmes on TV and comments on the street after the organised street gang from Sevilla was sentenced to nine years for 'sexual abuse' but acquitted of rape, which carries jail terms of over 20 years.
The mostly-male judges at the court in Navarra said there was no evidence of 'violence or intimidation' – as the teen was very drunk and unable to consent – which they claim were necessary for a rape charge to apply.
They said 'strength in numbers' or being 'overpowered' five to one did not count as 'intimidation' and that the act of forcing themselves on her sexually without her consent did not amount to 'violence'.
One magistrate, Ricardo González, even voted for all charges to be dropped against 'The Herd' except for that of stealing her mobile phone, which applied to one gang member, a trained Guardia Civil officer, who took it from her pocket whilst one of his companions was in the act of rape.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com