Balearic Parliament President Summoned for Alleged Hate Crime in Controversial Photo Incident
The investigative judge number 1 of Palma has summoned Gabriel Le Senne, the president of the Balearic Parliament and member of Vox, to testify as an investigated party concerning an alleged hate crime. This legal action follows a dramatic event where Le Senne ripped a photograph of Mallorcan communist activist Aurora Picornell during a parliamentary session. Picornell was brutally murdered in 1937 amid the Spanish Civil War, a historical context that has made this incident particularly sensitive.
The ruling from the judge, which was signed last Tuesday, August 6, has been reported by the activist group Estimada Aurora. Le Senne is set to appear in court on September 27 at 9:30 AM. Additionally, Mercedes Garrido, a socialist deputy and member of the Parliament Board, is scheduled to testify at 11:30 AM the same day.
The Associació de Memòria Democràtica de Mallorca, alongside the families of the murdered women, including Picornell and her sisters Antònia and María Pascual, filed a criminal complaint against Le Senne for what they view as an act of disrespect toward the memory of these victims of human rights violations. The alarm over Le Senne's actions has been emphasized, as the activists highlight the historical suffering this incident invokes.
On June 18, during a heated debate regarding a proposal by Vox to repeal the Democratic Memory Law, passed in 2018, Le Senne demanded the removal of portraits of Picornell, Antònia, and María Pascual displayed by socialist deputies. After his requests went unheeded, Le Senne escalated the situation by tearing a portion of a photo displayed by Garrido and subsequently expelled both deputies from the plenary.
In response to the complaint, Le Senne has submitted a written request asking for its dismissal, claiming that the events have been exaggerated and are being interpreted subjectively. His actions, however, have drawn significant criticism; the complaint accuses him of aggressively seizing, tearing, and discarding the photograph of these historical figures, highlighting the violent undertone of what transpired in the parliamentary setting.
Following the incident, Le Senne expressed regret over what he characterized as inappropriate behavior from the two expelled members, who he claimed damaged the prestige of the Chamber with their actions. In his defense, he noted that the portrait was merely a printed sheet of paper secured with cellophane, downplaying the severity of the incident.
The three women—who were activists during the Second Republic—were executed along with two others on the night of the Epiphany in 1937, becoming part of the infamous group known as the Rojas del Molinar in Palma. Their remains, which had been lost for decades, were located in a mass grave at the Son Coletes cemetery in Manacor, with the discovery confirmed as recently as October 2022.
The incident continues to resonate within the context of Spain's approach to historical memory, the ongoing repercussions of the Civil War, and the significance of recognizing past injustices. The upcoming court proceedings will provide a critical platform for discussions surrounding historical memory, accountability, and the recognition of victims of political violence. Estimada Aurora has welcomed the judge's decision to investigate, viewing it as a step towards clarifying the responsibility of Le Senne in what they argue is a continuation of historical repression against the victims of Francoist violence.
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