Judge puts Echenique on edge of bench for tweeting about priests and pedophilia after complaint from Christian Lawyers

2024-09-19 12:25:49

The Court of Instruction number 38 of Madrid has decided last Wednesday to prosecute the former deputy leader of Podemos Pablo Echenique for publishing an alleged hate crime on the social network of a sexual attack against a minor committed by a migrant.

In an order dated last Wednesday, which was accessed by Europa Press, the judge considers that, “it appears from the acts that the reported facts may constitute an alleged crime of discrimination and hatred, that the procedures are appropriate for the reduction of continue procedure.” , that is, it puts him one step away from being brought to trial.

Therefore, the Judge Carlos Valle informs the Office of the Prosecutor and the plaintiff, in this case Christian Lawyers, so that they “formulate a document of accusation, requesting that an oral trial be opened in the manner prescribed by the Law or the dismissal of the case, without prejudice to the fact that they may exceptionally request that the complementary proceedings which they consider necessary to form the charge be carried out.” The resolution is dated one day after the former deputy denied in front of the judge that he wanted to criminalize all priests with his tweet.

His intention was “quite contrary” to what he has accused, the former journalist himself summarized last Tuesday after his statement. “In my tweet I suggest that, in the same way that it is absurd to criminalize the group of migrants for the crimes that some of them may commit, in the same way that it would be equally absurd to criminalize the group of priests because of the crimes that. some of them have made a commitment”, he said to questions from the media.

Echenique said he made an “ironic contrast between two absurdities” to respond to Oviedo Archbishop Jesús Sanz’s words about migrants, and would repeat the tweet. “But I’m not criminalizing an entire group at any time, and I don’t intend to. In fact, I intend to explain, just as you cannot criminalize every priest, you cannot criminalize every migrant either,” he said.

The former deputy commander told the media that the case is of no importance and said that if his message was criminal, “half of the Spaniards would have committed very similar crimes.” Echenique also asked that the case be raised to the Provincial Court of Madrid to be archived, assuming that he has not committed any crime.

Christian Lawyers hopes that an oral trial will be opened against Echenique

The president of the Christian Lawyers, Poland Castellanos, has praised the judge’s decision and has indicated that they trust that an oral trial will finally be opened. “Attacks on Catholics are increasing and it is essential that justice condemns these events,” he said.

Christian criticized Echenique’s lawyers for publishing that message on May 10 i

So the former commander responded to a few words about welcoming immigrants from the Archbishop of Oviedo, who said: “Within this good opening, people who don’t want to can sneak in.”