135 women’s associations and social and political organizations have denounced the mayor of Vita, Ávila, Antonio Martín Hernández, before the prosecutor of the Chamber Delegate for Violence against Women for “apology for the crimes of pedophilia and rape”, as reported by the Feminist Coordinator of Valencia.
Martín Hernández went online after a video was released in which he sang a song about sexual abuse of a minor. The councilor, who has not yet resigned and is an independent, was expelled from the Municipal Popular Group. The mayor apologized – through a video published by La Sexta – for singing the song if anyone had been “offended” and assured that this song was sung “traditionally for the festivities of Vita” and that at no time did he try to sing it. “offend anyone.” For Ávila, he proposed to the PP present a motion of censure against Martín Hernández because his actions “make him incapable of representing his neighbors”
In a statement, the organization justified its complaint by “the performance in front of a large audience of a ‘song’ whose lyrics incited and celebrated the repeated rape of a minor.” The signatories of the lawsuit ask the prosecutor to act ex officio to “purge the criminal responsibilities” that the councilor of Ávila could have incurred due to “reprehensible and offensive conduct, deserving criminal reproaches and the most absolute social rejection.”
“We demand zero tolerance with this type of demonstrations that promote rape culture,” said the feminist coordinator of Valencia. In the letter sent to the media, they indicated that “the increase in gender-based violence, reflected in the increase in femicides in recent months, indirect violence and brutal attacks against non-heteronormative people, requires that all powers of the State act with the utmost diligence and rigor in the application of the legal system.
“The impunity with which some individuals spread their hatred on social networks and in many public spaces against feminists and the lgtbi+ community is worrying. Also striking are the statements made by the representative of the Episcopal Conference trivializing the behavior of this mayor. The president of the Spanish bishops, Luis Argüello, justified these chants as having taken place “in the context” of a local festival. “To know what happens in the early hours of the morning after drinking this or that…”, he meant.
This is the second complaint filed against Martín Hernández for his actions. IU Castilla y León announced this Thursday that it would file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office for the “disgusting actions” of the counselor. The regional coordinator of the training, Juan Gascón, stressed that they are “impassive” in the face of these attitudes “that are part of what UN Women defines as a ‘rape culture’ that must be legally repressed to prevent its spread and stop its spread. diffusion.”
