A judge in Madrid has dismissed the case opened against the far-right agitator Vito Quiles following a complaint filed for alleged harassment and injuries to political analyst Sarah Santaolalla at the doors of the Senate last March 2. “The facts do not constitute any criminal offense,” concludes the head of the Court of Instruction number 23 of the capital in an order accessed by EL PAÍS. The judge made this decision after analyzing the “complete footage recorded by the Senate’s security cameras” which captures the “entire sequence” from when Santaolalla leaves the building until she gets into the car. “No aggression by the accused is seen in them,” she states.
According to the judicial resolution, the recording shows Vito Quiles in Plaza de la Marina, one of the entrances to the upper chamber, “where there were more people,” including members of the Security Forces and Corps. The judge emphasizes that the footage shows the agitator approaching Santaolalla, but a group of people formed “a security belt around her, pushing the accused away and preventing him from getting close.” Police officers also intervened to “calm the situation.” “In these recordings, no attack by the accused on the victim is seen in any way,” she assures.
The judge highlights that the events were “completely captured” by the Senate’s security cameras and that these recordings were provided to the case by the National Police itself, so she rules out any fear of manipulation. The court head also examined the recordings provided by Vito Quiles’ defense, led by lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina. And she stresses that these images also show no aggression and confirm that “the accused does not even get close” to the panelist.
Likewise, the judge analyzed a forensic medical report concluding that “there is no evidence” that Santaolalla “suffered injuries that could be related to the alleged facts” initially attributed to Vito Quiles. Finally, she also took into account the statements of Santaolalla and Quiles, as well as a report from the National Police. After examining all these elements, she considers that “it must be concluded that the facts do not constitute a criminal offense.” “What is appropriate is the dismissal of the proceedings,” she concluded.
When ordering the dismissal, the court head rejects Santaolalla’s request to summon more people to testify and to add this complaint for harassment and injuries to others she filed against Quiles. The judge’s decision can be appealed before the Provincial Court of Madrid.
Apart from the panelist’s complaint, the PSOE announced in early March that it had also gone to a police station to report the “assault” on Santaolalla. The party’s spokesperson in the Senate, Juan Espadas, stated that a dozen female parliamentarians from the party had witnessed how Santaolalla, invited to an event on Rumors, disinformation, and digital violence, was harassed “with shoves and pushes in a clear physical assault,” in which “her personal integrity was put at risk.” The judge does not refer in her resolution to any complaint from the socialists.
