Spanish Socialist Party Official Faces New Allegations in Harassment Case
A PSOE activist has expanded her complaint against Antonio Navarro, the general secretary of the party, to include the alleged dissemination of private photographs of her children, escalating a case that has already prompted a preliminary investigation.
A Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) activist has broadened her accusations against a high-ranking party official, alleging not only sexual harassment and gender-based violence, but also the unauthorized sharing of images of her two youngest children. The complainant initially filed a report against Antonio Navarro, the general secretary of the PSOE in Torremolinos, last November.
According to an audio recording obtained by RTVE and shared by Canal Sur Radio, the activist described a “truly humiliating and intimidating environment” created by her former superior at the Torremolinos City Council. “There is an express no,” she stated in the recording. “He should have stopped at that moment. Simply, and not having continued as it continued for months.” She asserts the alleged harassment was “continuous,” beginning in the final quarter of 2021 and persisting to the present day.
The complaint details a pattern of unwanted sexual messages, including examples such as “You are very hot,” “you are very good,” and “I want to give you a token.” These messages, the activist alleges, were sent using City Council-issued telephones, effectively making the workplace a conduit for unwanted advances. The alleged harassment extended beyond work hours, occurring “at night and outside the workplace,” and was described as “constant, insistent and loaded with sexual connotations,” severely impacting her “peace and security.” The complainant further stated that Navarro contacted her “late at night and even early in the morning” despite her refusal to meet with him privately, expressing fear that he “could ring the doorbell at that hour in desperation.”
Following the initial complaint, the Public Ministry initiated pre-procedural proceedings to determine if criminal charges were warranted. The PSOE responded by provisionally suspending Navarro from party activities. However, the complainant claims she reported the behavior through internal party channels as early as June of this year, receiving no response. The PSOE maintains that the allegations were already under review by an independent anti-harassment body within the Federal Executive Commission.
In her expanded complaint filed with the Malaga Prosecutor’s Office, the activist is now requesting “investigative proceedings necessary to clarify the facts” and, if appropriate, a formal accusation before the competent court. She also seeks “the necessary protection measures” and a forensic examination of mobile devices used by both parties at the Torremolinos City Council to verify the authenticity of the messages presented as evidence.
The Public Ministry began pre-procedural proceedings following the updated complaint on Thursday, signaling a deepening of the investigation into these serious allegations.
