Spanish court acquits Roma man of rape of underage girl for “cultural” reasons

A court in Ciudal Real ruled that the relationship between the then 20-year-old man and the girl was “consensual within the framework of a romantic relationship” and that the two were “close in terms of age and maturity,” according to the British newspaper. The telegraph reported.

The man said he did not know exactly how old the girl was. He only found out that she was 12 years old when they went to the doctor about the pregnancy.

The doctor informed the authorities after finding out that she was a minor.

While the prosecution called for an 11-year prison sentence for the rape of a minor, the court instead stated that the relationship took place “in the cultural and social context of the Roma community, where marriages between very young people are common.” Newsweek reported.

A few days earlier, the prison sentence of another man who also had a sexual relationship with a Roma girl aged between 12 and 15 had been reduced because in their culture it was “normal for a 12-year-old girl to have sexual relations with an adult”.

The prosecution had demanded a prison sentence of 37 years, but the court sentenced her to eleven years.

Beatriz Carrillo, general director of non-discrimination and anti-racism at Spain’s Equality Ministry, called the ruling a “disgrace”. She said the penal code does not exclude Roma minors from its protection. The Telegraph reported.

Sara Giménez, general director of the Gypsy Secretariat Foundation (FSG), also told the newspaper that Roma culture does not mean abuse or violation of rights and that the recent rulings could potentially promote negative stereotypes that are harmful.

According to the FSG, around 750,000 Roma live in Spain.