Prosecutors Dismiss Complaints Against Podemos Founder Juan Carlos Monedero
The Prosecutor's Office has archived a second complaint against Juan Carlos Monedero, the founder of Podemos, after it found no criminal conduct related to moral integrity in the treatment of several female students. This issue arose from a disciplinary file that the Complutense University of Madrid submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Sources from the Prosecutor's Office confirmed that this decision follows an earlier complaint regarding alleged sexual assault filed by the platform Xuntos por Galicia.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the behaviors reported by the Complutense University on April 10 did not constitute a crime against moral integrity as defined under Article 173.1 of the Penal Code. Although considering Monedero's conduct to be inappropriate and morally reproachable, the office determined that it did not rise to the level of criminal action.
The complaint focused on Monedero's interactions with female students during the 2021-2022 academic year. However, the Prosecutor's Office clarified that not all degrading treatment equates to a punishable offense. It noted that serious degrading behavior must be repeated and must create significant feelings of distress or inferiority in the victims. Here, the behavior was categorized as improper but ultimately did not meet the legal threshold for criminal prosecution.
The Prosecutor's Office acknowledged the harm and damage among the student body that resulted from these incidents, calling attention to the circumstances of vulnerability and the need for authority figures to mitigate inappropriate situations that may arise in educational settings. Nevertheless, they concluded that the specific conduct in question was not severe enough to warrant criminal charges.
The Complutense University initially began an inquiry into Monedero after receiving the complaint for sexual assault, which resulted in Monedero being suspended from teaching pending further investigations. He later indicated that he was on sick leave during this period.
As the situation continues to unfold, the implications of this decision may resonate within both academic circles and the wider political landscape, highlighting the ongoing sensitivity surrounding issues of conduct and integrity in academia.
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