https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain’s Supreme Court has ruled that kissing a person’s hand without their consent constitutes sexual assault rather than street harassment, according to a decision obtained by AFP on Monday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260331/spain-rules-non-consensual-kiss-on-hand-is-sexual-assault Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:28:28 +0200 spain-rules-non-consensual-kiss-on-hand-is-sexual-assault Spain's leftist government on Tuesday approved a bill to make violence that targets women by harming their loved ones a separate criminal offence, the country's latest move aimed at combatting mistreatment of women. https://www.thelocal.es/20251001/spain-to-criminalise-gender-violence-that-targets-victims-loved-ones Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:57:30 +0200 spain-to-criminalise-gender-violence-that-targets-victims-loved-ones The Spanish government is insisting that women are safe despite reported malfunctions of protective electronic bracelets designed to keep them at a distance from their abusers. https://www.thelocal.es/20250924/explained-the-scandal-brewing-in-spain-over-abuse-prevention-bracelets Wed, 24 Sep 2025 12:02:58 +0200 explained-the-scandal-brewing-in-spain-over-abuse-prevention-bracelets Feminist activists in Spain say inaction and men's silence are hindering the eradication of abuse, as the country celebrates 20 years of a pioneering law against gender-based violence. https://www.thelocal.es/20250308/spain-targets-mens-deafening-silence-in-gender-violence-battle Sat, 08 Mar 2025 09:43:07 +0100 spain-targets-mens-deafening-silence-in-gender-violence-battle A Spanish court on Thursday convicted and fined former football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso but acquitted him of the charge of coercion. https://www.thelocal.es/20250220/spains-ex-football-boss-luis-rubiales-avoids-jail-over-forced-kiss Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:25:07 +0100 spains-ex-football-boss-luis-rubiales-avoids-jail-over-forced-kiss Aside from physical violence, emotional abuse, intimidation, stalking and deprivation of freedom are also forms of violence. What steps can you take if you're in an abusive relationship in Spain? https://www.thelocal.es/20211126/what-to-do-if-youre-in-an-abusive-relationship-in-spain Fri, 26 Nov 2021 13:58:26 +0100 what-to-do-if-youre-in-an-abusive-relationship-in-spain Disgraced former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will stand trial in February next year for his unsolicited kiss on the lips of Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, the court overseeing the process said Monday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240617/rubiales-to-go-on-trial-in-spain-over-unwanted-kiss-in-february Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:19:13 +0200 rubiales-to-go-on-trial-in-spain-over-unwanted-kiss-in-february Spanish prosecutors will appeal against the four-and-a-half year sentence handed to former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves for rape and seek a longer jail term, judicial sources said Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240301/spain-prosecutors-to-demand-longer-rape-sentence-for-brazil-star-alves Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:32:46 +0100 spain-prosecutors-to-demand-longer-rape-sentence-for-brazil-star-alves Three more women have accused Spanish film director Carlos Vermut of sexual violence, a newspaper reported Tuesday, raising to six the total who have come forward in the past month. https://www.thelocal.es/20240227/three-more-women-accuse-spanish-director-vermut-of-sexual-violence Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:53:20 +0100 three-more-women-accuse-spanish-director-vermut-of-sexual-violence The shocking case of a man who killed his children to get back at his ex-wife has thrown the spotlight on Spain's child protection efforts, a central part of the country's legal battle against gender violence. https://www.thelocal.es/20240208/focus-spains-ongoing-fight-against-monstruous-vicarious-violence Thu, 08 Feb 2024 12:44:18 +0100 focus-spains-ongoing-fight-against-monstruous-vicarious-violence The rape trial of ex-Brazil international Dani Alves ends Wednesday with the footballer due to tell the court his version of events involving a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub. https://www.thelocal.es/20240207/footballer-dani-alves-to-testify-as-his-rape-trial-in-spain-wraps-up Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:09:07 +0100 footballer-dani-alves-to-testify-as-his-rape-trial-in-spain-wraps-up Former Celta Vigo captain Hugo Mallo will face trial in July for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman working as a mascot for Espanyol nearly five years ago, judicial sources said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240131/spanish-footballer-faces-trial-for-sexual-abuse-of-opponents-team-mascot Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:38:02 +0100 spanish-footballer-faces-trial-for-sexual-abuse-of-opponents-team-mascot FIFA announced Monday it had imposed a three-year ban on former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales following his forced kiss on the lips of World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso. https://www.thelocal.es/20231030/fifa-bans-rubiales-for-three-years-for-forcibly-kissing-spain-player Mon, 30 Oct 2023 14:16:48 +0100 fifa-bans-rubiales-for-three-years-for-forcibly-kissing-spain-player The Spanish football federation's regional presidents have turned their backs on suspended chief Luis Rubiales only a few days after they publicly supported and applauded him, now asking him to resign for his non consensual kiss of player Jenni Hermoso. https://www.thelocal.es/20230829/spanish-football-federation-asks-president-rubiales-to-resign Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:07:38 +0200 spanish-football-federation-asks-president-rubiales-to-resign The spokesman for the United Nations secretary-general on Monday pitched into the sexism row engulfing Spain, asking: "How difficult is it not to kiss somebody on the lips?" https://www.thelocal.es/20230829/un-wades-into-spains-sexism-row-not-difficult-not-to-kiss-somebody Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:24:54 +0200 un-wades-into-spains-sexism-row-not-difficult-not-to-kiss-somebody Prosecutors at Spain's top criminal court said Monday they had opened a preliminary investigation into Luis Rubiales' forcible kiss on the lips of World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on grounds it could constitute a crime of "sexual assault". https://www.thelocal.es/20230828/prosecutors-in-spain-open-sexual-abuse-probe-over-rubiales-kiss Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:44:25 +0200 prosecutors-in-spain-open-sexual-abuse-probe-over-rubiales-kiss The mother of Spain's suspended football chief Luis Rubiales, who is under fire for planting an unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso, went on hunger strike Monday in support of her son. https://www.thelocal.es/20230828/rubiales-mum-on-hunger-strike-over-harassment-of-son-in-spain Mon, 28 Aug 2023 17:05:21 +0200 rubiales-mum-on-hunger-strike-over-harassment-of-son-in-spain Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales refused to resign on Friday after a week of heavy criticism he referred to as a "witch hunt" for his unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso following Spain's Women's World Cup triumph. https://www.thelocal.es/20230825/i-will-not-resign-spains-football-chief-refuses-to-quit-over-player-kiss Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:48:02 +0200 i-will-not-resign-spains-football-chief-refuses-to-quit-over-player-kiss FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales on Thursday after the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women's World Cup final last weekend. https://www.thelocal.es/20230824/kissgate-sacking-of-spains-football-boss-looms-as-fifa-opens-probe Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:47:28 +0200 kissgate-sacking-of-spains-football-boss-looms-as-fifa-opens-probe The Spanish government on Wednesday demanded transparency and urgent action from the country's football federation against president Luis Rubiales over his kiss on the lips of a Women's World Cup player. https://www.thelocal.es/20230823/spains-govt-demands-urgent-probe-into-football-boss-who-kissed-player Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:50:56 +0200 spains-govt-demands-urgent-probe-into-football-boss-who-kissed-player