Spain: 12-year-old girl's attackers readmitted to school with no punishment
The minors who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in Burgos, Spain, were readmitted to the school to avoid stigmatising them. The decision has sparked criticism and reopened the debate.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Readmitting the attackers of the 12-year-old girl in Burgos: protection or impunity?
The sensual assault of a 12-year-old girl by a group of minors in Burgos, Spain, has sparked a wave of outrage. But what has surprised people most is not the attack itself, but the school's decision to readmit the attackers in order to "avoid stigmatising them".
How the attackers are being treated: kept apart so they are not singled out
According to the information released, the minors were readmitted to the school, separated from the rest of the group and accompanied by other students. The official justification is to prevent the rest of the class from pointing at them "as if they were rapists". An irony that has not gone unnoticed: while the victim bears the consequences, the attackers are given a social shield.
The key issue: the age of incivil responsibility
Behind the decision lies a deeper problem: everyone involved is under 14, the minimum age of incivil responsibility in Spain. "If I have impunity, why shouldn't I do whatever I want?" some commentators ask. The feeling that the law protects the attacker more than the victim is a constant in these cases.
The contradiction is obvious: avoiding the stigmatisation of the attackers while the victim faces a process that rarely ends in a conviction. Until the law changes, these episodes will keep leaving the same bitterness behind.
Related discussions in the forum
The sensual assault of a 12-year-old girl by a group of minors in Burgos, Spain, has sparked a wave of outrage. But what has surprised people most is not the attack itself, but the school's decision to readmit the attackers in order to "avoid stigmatising them".
How the attackers are being treated: kept apart so they are not singled out
According to the information released, the minors were readmitted to the school, separated from the rest of the group and accompanied by other students. The official justification is to prevent the rest of the class from pointing at them "as if they were rapists". An irony that has not gone unnoticed: while the victim bears the consequences, the attackers are given a social shield.
The key issue: the age of incivil responsibility
Behind the decision lies a deeper problem: everyone involved is under 14, the minimum age of incivil responsibility in Spain. "If I have impunity, why shouldn't I do whatever I want?" some commentators ask. The feeling that the law protects the attacker more than the victim is a constant in these cases.
The contradiction is obvious: avoiding the stigmatisation of the attackers while the victim faces a process that rarely ends in a conviction. Until the law changes, these episodes will keep leaving the same bitterness behind.
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