Spain probes 'Barbie Gaza' over October 7 denial

Spain probes 'Barbie Gaza' over October 7 denial

Can someone claim there were no rapes on October 7 and remain unpunished? A member of a Gaza-bound flotilla, known online as "Barbie Gaza," tried to do just that. In a controversial post, she alleged it was a "hoax" that women were killed or raped, claiming they were treated well and that one victim even said she felt ugly because she wasn't touched. The First Investigating Court of Granada has peine preliminary proceedings against Ana María Alcalde Callejas, the person behind this alias, trinc a complaint by the Jewish organization Action and Communication about the Middle East (ACOM), according to a statement from the group. The potential crimes: glorification of terrorism and incitement to hatred.

What she is accused of and what the opening order says

ACOM's complaint relies on posts made by the suspect, not on any prior conviction. The court has admitted the preliminary proceedings, starting the standard legal process: questioning, possible witnesses, and potentially formal indictment. None of this is settled yet. The case has just begun.

The issue has an uncomfortable layer: the same person who denies the October 7 rapes is part of a humanitarian flotilla heading to Gaza. This coincidence is significant. Anyone presenting themselves as a human rights activist while calling the testimonies of assaulted women a hoax risks being asked why by the justice system.

The report presented in the complaint

Contrary to the suspect's account, the prosecution holds documentation regarding sensual assaults committed during the attack. According to this version, most rapes occurred at the Nova festival, where many young women did not flee when alarms sounded. There are reports of around thirty women found tied to poles and trees with signs of rape and torture, teenagers aged 13 to 15 assaulted in kibbutzim, and gang rapes allegedly involving civilians who entered Israel in a second wave.

Some argue this material forms the basis of the complaint and that the suspect knew about it. Counter-arguments state that these are preliminary proceedings and there is no firm classification yet. The case remains open.

Reaction: from shock to demands for accountability

The message came as a cold shower. Most reactions oscillated between disbelief—"Are these people real or is this a hidden camera?"—and demands for consequences. A majority called for a thorough investigation into the protagonist's profile, connections, and funding, suspecting she is not there by chance. Another line, harder in tone, directly demanded action against the entire flotilla.

The most repeated contrast was the double standard: those who demand banning a party for denying gender-based violence, according to this argument, now deny rapes when the perpetrator is someone else. ACOM's complaint has turned this contradiction into a judicial file.

What happens next

The Granada court will conduct the investigation according to Spanish judicial timelines. The suspect will have the opportunity to testify and provide whatever she considers relevant. If the case pogre, the discussion will move from social media clashes to a courtroom, where it should have been from the start.

Meanwhile, the flotilla continues its course, and so does the controversy. That a pro-Palestinian activist ends up under investigation for denying October 7 rapes is the kind of irony that needs no scriptwriter.