Spanish Court Admits Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Móstoles Mayor and PP

A court in Móstoles, Madrid, has admitted a criminal complaint filed by a former local councillor alleging sexual and workplace harassment by the town’s mayor and the People’s Party (PP) as a legal entity, marking a significant step in a case that has drawn regional political attention.

The ruling, issued on April 15 by Judge Eloísa Márquez de Prado of the Móstoles Court on Violence Against Women, states that the alleged facts “present characteristics that make it possible to presume the existence of crimes including sexual harassment, workplace harassment, against moral integrity, bodily harm, coercion, and disclosure of secrets.” The judge has ordered preliminary proceedings to be opened.

The former councillor filed the complaint on February 16, alleging that after rejecting sexual advances from Mayor Manuel Bautista, she was subjected to a campaign of workplace harassment. She reported the matter internally to the PP of Madrid, meeting with senior party officials including regional secretary Alfonso Serrano and organisational head Ana Millán, but claimed that President Isabel Díaz Ayuso avoided meeting her for months despite repeated requests.

The judge has summoned the complainant to testify on June 29 and ordered a forensic medical examination to assess the injuries she alleges resulted from the alleged harassment. The court also directed that the complaint be formally served on the mayor and the PP via certified mail with receipt confirmation.

Although the Public Prosecutor’s Office had urged judicial action as early as March 9, citing a lack of progress, the judge initially delayed proceedings. However, after the prosecutor renewed its request for a formal investigative impulse, the court moved to admit the complaint and begin investigative acts.

The complainant’s lawyer, Antonio Suárez-Valdés, said the judicial decision was warranted given the “notorious existence” of indicative evidence of criminal conduct, and that the case would now proceed to full judicial investigation to establish the facts.

The PP of Madrid has not commented publicly on the ruling. The party previously stated that it closed an internal investigation into the allegations without interviewing the complainant personally, relying instead on information provided via email. The national organisation, then led by Vicesecretary of Organisation Carmen Fúnez, also did not conduct a personal interview.

The case remains under judicial investigation, with no further dates set beyond the complainant’s scheduled testimony on June 29. The outcome will depend on the findings of the forensic report and any additional evidence gathered during the preliminary phase.