A court in Navarre, Spain, on Thursday found five men accused of the rape of a teenager not guilty, convicting them instead on the lesser crime of sexual abuse.
People are furious about the verdict, with hundreds protesting in Madrid, Pamplona, Seville, Barcelona, Alicante, Bilbao and other cities by evening.
During the trial, the men's defence rested on the woman's apparent lack of resistance.
Defence lawyers argued that a short video clip of the women taken by one of the men during the assault – and which was shared in the group's WhatsApp – that showed her immobile, with her eyes shut, while one of the men kissed her, counted as consent.
Amnesty International said the case "could be sending a worrying message: if women don't resist, there is no rape".
One of the judges also accepted evidence from a private detective, who tailed the girl for several days and photographed her smiling with her friends. This, the defence claimed, was evidence that she had suffered no lasting trauma. Although the majority of this evidence was later removed, an Instagram post she was tagged in, of a T-shirt with the words, “Hagas lo que hagas, quítate las bragas” (“Whatever you do, make sure you take off your underwear”) from the Spanish version of the US TV show Jersey Shore, was kept in.
"The defendants want us to believe that on that night they met an 18-year-old girl, living a normal life, who after 20 minutes of conversation with people she didn’t know agreed to group sex involving every type of penetration, sometimes simultaneously, without using a condom,” prosecuting lawyer Elena Sarasate said back in November.
Thousands of people took to the streets, angry with the nine year sentence – rather than the 22 years sought by prosecutors – that the men have received.
"Es violación no es abuso". Bilbo orain. #YoTeCreo
"Rape is not abuse."
Tremenda #movilización en #Bilbao. Impresionante. Alzando las manos. Alzando la voz. #sororidad #EstaEsNuestraManada #NoesNo #yotecreo #JusticiaPatriarcal https://t.co/gry8F4QgqH
Sentencias basura. #ElConcepto #YoTeCreo
"Trash sentences"
The hashtag #TeSeCreo (I Believe Her) and #YoSiTeCreo (I Do Believe You) trended across Spain after the verdict was read out.
Si no está muerta, no fue violación. Si no se resiste, no es violación. Si rehace su vida, no es violación. Si ellos lo dicen, no es violación. No somos objetos, SOMOS PERSONAS, hijos del porno. #YoSiTeCreo #EstaEsNuestraManada
"If she's not dead, it wasn't rape.
If you don't resist, it's not rape.
If he remakes his life, it's not rape.
If they say so, it's not rape.
We are not objects, we are people, children of the pornography."
Today is a shameful day for Spain. The 5"Running of the Bulls”rapists were given nine-year jail terms for sexual assault of a 18yo girl and acquitted from rape. One of the judges even wanted to acquit them entirely. They say "if you didn't resist, it wasn't rape"... #YoSiTeCreo https://t.co/jOXyVXth3x
Fue violación. Mientras haya #JusticiaPatriarcal habrá violencia estructural contra las mujeres #NoEstasSola #YoTeCreo #AlertaFeminista #LasQueremosVivas https://t.co/DimZ1RPQhb
"It was rape. As long as there #JusticiaPatriarcal will be structural violence against women #NoEstasSola #YoTeCreo #AlertaFeminista #LasQueremosVivas"
Abuso sexual? No violencia? Qué es el abuso sexual sino violencia? El patriarcado institucionalizado viola una vez más a la agredida, exculpa a los violadores, y sigue sin representar a la mitad de la ciudadanía, las mujeres #BastaYa #nosqueremosvivas #YoTeCreo
"Sexual abuse? No violence? What is sexual abuse but violence? The institutionalized Patriarchate once again violates the assaulted, explots the rapists, and still does not represent half of the citizenry, women #BastaYa #nosqueremosvivas #YoTeCreo"
Rabia y decepción. En este país se aprecia violencia en el rap y no cuando 5 hombres VIOLAN a una mujer. Fiel (e insostenible) reflejo de una sociedad que muchas rechazamos y pretendemos cambiar. #YoTeCreo
"Anger and disappointment. In this country there is violence in rap and not when 5 men RAPE a woman. Faithful (and unsustainable) reflection of a society that many reject and intend to change."
Según los jueces, 'la manada' no violó a la denunciante. No hubo violencia ni intimidación y por eso lo considera abuso y no agresión. Y atención: uno de los jueces, en voto particular, cree que debían haber sido absueltos #EstaEsNuestraManada #LaManada https://t.co/4P7BrJHS18
"According to the judges, 'the wolfpack' did not rape the whistleblower. There was no violence or intimidation and so they considers it abuse, and not aggression.
And attention: One of the judges, in particular vote, believes that they should have been acquitted #EstaEsNuestraManada."
Left-leaning politicians tweeted about the case, with many condemning the verdict.
No comprendo las razones de no considerar que una persona que es agredida sexualmente por cinco varones no ha sufrido intimidación. Como podemos mirar a la cara a una chica de 18 años que ha sufrido este ataque y decirle que no ha sido violada? #YoTeCreo
"I do not understand the reasons for not considering that a person who is sexually assaulted by five males has not been intimidated. How can we look into the face of an 18-year-old girl who has suffered this attack and tell her she has not been raped? #YoTeCreo"
Susana Díaz, the president of the regional government of Andalusia, tweeted:
Siempre respeto todas las sentencias judiciales, pero la sentencia del caso de La Manada ni la comprendo, ni la comparto. Tenemos que tener tolerancia cero con toda violencia sexual y hacerlo desde todos los ámbitos de la sociedad.
“I always respect judicial sentences but this is one I neither understand nor agree with. We must have zero tolerance for sexual violence throughout society.”
Her colleague, Pedro Sanchez, the leader of Spain’s socialist party, added his condemnation.
Ella dijo NO. Te creímos y te seguimos creyendo. Si lo que hizo #LaManada no fue violencia en grupo contra una mujer indefensa, ¿qué entendemos entonces por violación? #NoesNo #YoSíTeCreo
"If what the 'wolfpack' did wasn't gang rape against a defenceless woman, then what do we understand by rape?"
Other hashtags were also rapidly shared including #NoEsNo (No is No).
Hoy todos estamos pendientes de la sentencia del juicio de #LaManada. Hoy y todos los días NO ES NO. Hoy y todos los días necesitamos dejar de ser nosotras las juzgadas. Hoy y todos los días queremos volver a casa por la noche sin pasar miedo. #noesno
"Today we are all awaiting the judgement of #LaManada.
Today and every day is not.
Today and every day we need to stop being judged.
Today and every day we want to go home at night without going to fear."
Spain's police sent out a series of tweets in the immediate aftermath of the verdict, reading: "No means no," and later telling women: "We're with you."
#NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo #NoesNo ESTAMOS CONTIGO 📞091
Many people are seeing the protests as Spain's #MeToo moment, with the same #IBelieveHer hashtag that was used after an Irish rape trial's verdict sparked outrage.
Anger and indignation in Spain over the #LaManada verdict: five men accused of gang rape will only see 9 years of prison. Massive protests scheduled throughout the country tonight. This is Spain's #MeToo moment.