“Given the statements made this morning by the spokespersons of my party, Mónica García, Manuela Bergerot and Rita Maestre, I find myself once again obliged to defend myself and deny their statements.” This is how Loreto Arenillas’ statement begins, member of the Madrid Assembly who announced that she would leave her minutes after learning that he could have served as a mediator in an alleged sexual assault committed by Íñigo Errejón in 2023. Arenillas, who insisted that he had reported the events to the management of Más Madrid, assures that his presumption of innocence is not respected and he will report it to the Training Guarantees Committee. Oatmeal
“As I already explained on Friday, I never hid this episode nor any other,” said Arenillas in a statement published on his social networks. “I informed the party’s organizational secretary, at the time Manuela Bergerot, current spokesperson for the Mas Madrid parliamentary group, as well as the secretary for feminisms, Cristina Castillo, what was happening? AND far from covering or hiding anything, far from minimizing the factsI made myself available to the communications director, Luis Giménez, to explain it publicly if necessary.”
In addition, he adds, “the party leadership did not consider the facts to be relevant to elevate them to higher authorities, nor to make them public, nor to activate the procedures established in our statutes and our internal regulations.”
With this statement, Arenillas reinforces the idea that she already expressed last Friday as the reason for her resignation as deputy, although Arenillas did not register any petition this Monday at the closing of the registry of the Madrid Assembly. Arenillas denounced a “Immense campaign of lies” against him and said he was a victim of sexist violence, regretting not having had the opportunity to defend himself before his party.
Arenillas’ reaction was immediate after the press conference in which Mónica García, Manuela Bergerot and Rita Maestre, They admitted they were aware of the accusations. in Errejón of 2023, but that Errejón and Arenillas “downplayed” it. García also reported that when the party learned of the events “through social networks”, he contacted Errejón and Arenillas, who were also present at the event and who “acted on their own”, to ask them “explanations”.
Finally, and after these accusations, he says that he will act with the party and that does not exclude “going to court”: “Not only do I deny the facts for which I am asked for my deputy certificate and I am dismissed from my organic functions, I defend that I acted correctly, within the framework of the error which caused those responsible to have not enabled internal protocols.” For all this, he said, “in the coming hours I will present a formal complaint for serious offense before the Más Madrid Guarantees Commission, which I hope will be activated quickly and operate independently.
“Maybe I didn’t do enough.”
The MP details in a full statement her version of how she proceeded at that time after learning of the attack on Errejón in 2023. “I personally became aware of a situation of aggression by Errejón in Castellón , Errejón touched a girl’s ass without her consent in June 2023. “As I explained on Friday, I never concealed this episode or any other.”
Arenillas also denies having made contact with the woman who reported the assault and therefore deleted the tweet in which she reported the events and assures that what she did was “to inform the victim of the options for redress with an agent of gender, as is normally done. in these cases.” In addition, it guarantees that Errejón reprimanded and urged him to “seek help and stop the behaviors which harm women.” She then adds that she informed management.
