This article was published in 2018
The news of the release from custody of the five members of the so called Manada (wolf pack) has sparked reactions of anger and impotence on social media. A Navarre court has ordered their release on bail of the five men sentenced to nine years each for sexual abuse of a young woman during Pamplona's San Fermín festival in 2016.
Thousands of internet users, not believing what was happening, attacked the Spanish justice system. It didn't take long for comparisons to be drawn between the freedom the members of the Manada will enjoy and the situation of the Catalan political prisoners, in custody for over eight months in some cases without a trial or sentence.
La (in)justícia espanyola deixa en llibertat provisional a #LaManada. La mateixa (in)justícia que inhabilita una alcaldessa per penjar una estelada, que obliga a un raper a fugir per la repressió i que manté 9 persones de pau a la presó.#MarcaEspanya
— Crida Democràcia (@CridaDemocracia) 21 de juny de 2018
Translation: Spanish (in)justice leaves the 'Manada' on conditional release. The same (in)justice which bars a mayor from office for hanging up an 'estelada' [pro-independence flag], which forces a rapper to flee over the repression and which keeps 9 people of peace in prison. #BrandSpain
Una nova i preocupant regressió jurídica, humana i de drets, i un nou atac frontal a les dones. El missatge que s'envia és pèssim en una societat europea del segle XXI #LaManada https://t.co/uBWDXjzzXN
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 de juny de 2018
President Carles Puigdemont: A new and worrying legal, human and rights-related step back, and a new frontal attack on women. The message being sent is horrendous in a 21st century European society.
De veritat!? Llibertat provisional pels violadors en grup de #LaManada , alguns dels quals haurien de protegir la ciutadania en lloc d’agredir-la? Com es pot suportar una injustícia totalment inhumana que beneeix actituds intolerables mentre tenim presó preventiva per innocents? https://t.co/keSRD9twUr
— Laura Borràs (@LauraBorras) 21 de juny de 2018
Catalan culture minister Laura Borràs: Really!? Conditional release for the group rapists of the 'Manada', some of whom were meant to protect the public instead of attack them? How can you support totally inhuman injustice which gives its blessing to intolerable attitudes while we have pretrial detention for innocent people?
Posen en llibertat els violadors jutjats de ‘la Manada’ i mantenen a la presó polítics catalans no jutjats. Aquest és el diàleg a Espanya!
— Antoni Castellà #SÍ (@CastellaToni) 21 de juny de 2018
JxSí deputy Antoni Castellà: They release the rapists of the 'Manada' [who've been] tried and keep in prison Catalan politicians [who have] not [been] tried. That's dialogue in Spain!
A l'Estat espanyol ser un violador et dóna més llibertat que organitzar un referèndum. #StopPatriarcat https://t.co/TV3YpOmVxG
— lluc salellas i vilar (@llsalellasvilar) 21 de juny de 2018
Politician Lluc Salellas: In the Spanish state, being a rapist gives you more freedom than organising a referendum.
Sale más caro votar que violar.
— Gabriel Rufián (@gabrielrufian) 21 de juny de 2018
A las Plazas. pic.twitter.com/YfyPYrh4NE
ERC Congress deputy Gabriel Rufián: It costs more to vote than to rape. // To the squares.
Criticism has also come from the defence counsel for those under investigation for their roles in last year's Catalan referendum. Carles Puigdemont's lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas tweeted: "New policy when it comes to conditional detention? Or only for some?".
¿Nueva política en materia de prisión provisional? ¿O sólo para algunos?
— J. Alonso-Cuevillas (@JaumeAlonsoCuev) 21 de juny de 2018
En @elconfidencial: La Audiencia de Navarra decreta la libertad provisional para La Manada https://t.co/p4WZCkLITs
Many users drew comparisons with other recent rulings. The most-frequently mentioned were the decision by National Audience judge Carmen Lamela to file the lawsuit against Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and five former Spanish ministers in the so-called Castor case and king Felipe VI's brother-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin, who this Monday entered a prison he had chosen and a wing with no other inmate.
La juez Lamela exculpa a Florentino Pérez y a 5 ministros por el Castor
— Pilar Rahola (@RaholaOficial) 21 de juny de 2018
Urdangarin con privilegios inauditos
La Audiencia de Navarra concede la libertad provisional a #LaManada
Y en la cárcel, políticos democráticos por defender ideales pacíficos
ESPAÑA
Judge Lamela exonerates Florentino Pérez and 5 ministers for the Castor [case] /// Urdangarin with unprecedented privileges // The Navarre Audience grants conditional release to the 'Manada' // And in prison, democratic politicians for defending peaceful ideals // SPAIN
Balanç judicial del dia:
— Isabel#EnsVolemVives (@ivallets) 21 de juny de 2018
-Inhabilitació de 6 mesos per @venturosm per no retirar l'estelada.
-Desestimada la querella contra #castor 3500 milions d'euros pagats entre totes x socialitzar pèrdues: https://t.co/fE0pqqVMO9
-Llibertat provissional per #LaManada
Organitzem-nos!
Legal balance sheet of the day: // -Ban from public office for 6 months for Montse Venturós for not removing the 'estelada' // -The complaint against Castor dismissed, 3.5 billion euros paid between them all to nationalise losses // -Conditional release for the 'Manada' // Let's organise ourselves
The list of criticisms is unending. Especially from pro-independence circles, where many have denounced the lack of justice in Spain and expressed their desire to disassociate themselves from the legal system. The decision has been taken as a "provocation" or a "prank".
Una mai està preparada per molt que hagi deixat de creure en la justícia fa temps. Ho cremaria tot! https://t.co/H5k4pcjjtT
— Mireia Boya Busquet (@yeyaboya) 21 de juny de 2018
You're never prepared, however much you stopped believing in justice a long time ago. I'd burn it all!
Ràbia, fàstic i vergonya!!! La sentència de 9 anys als violadors de #LaManada ja era ridícula, però deixar-los en llibertat provisional amb una fiança de només 6.000 euros és una presa de pèl! Marxem ja! Aquí no hi ha justícia! https://t.co/xMQartpKth
— David Saldoni (@davidsaldoni) 21 de juny de 2018
Anger, disgust and shame!!! The sentence of 9 years for the rapists of the 'Manada' was already ridiculous, but leaving them on conditional release with bail of only 6,000 euros is a joke! Let's leave already! There's no justice here!
Están buscando un levantamiento y un linchamiento, sea por Cataluña, sea por Altsasu, sea por Murcia, sea por la Manada. Son constantes provocaciones contra todo colectivo político-social y creo que acaba de colmar el vaso leyendo ciertas reacciones.
— Bernat Castro (@Berlustinho) 21 de juny de 2018
They're looking for an uprising and a lynching, be it for Catalonia, be it for Altsasu, be it for Murcia, be it for the 'Manada'. There are constant provocations against the whole political-social collective and I believe that the glass has just filled to the brim reading certain reactions.
La MANADA queda en libertad provisional. No tengo palabras.
— Bea Talegón (@BeatrizTalegon) 21 de juny de 2018
The 'MANADA' has conditional release. I have no words.
PSC and Cs: respect for legal decisions
Others have been more moderated in their disagreement, noting that above all, legal decisions have to be respected and followed. PSC's leader, Miquel Iceta, and Ciudadanos' leader in the Catalan Parliament, Inés Arrimadas both tweeted within hours:
L’obligat acatament a les decisions judicials no impideix discrepar-hi. Estic indignat pel cas de “la manada”!
— Miquel Iceta Llorens (@miqueliceta) 21 de juny de 2018
Avui, més que mai, al costat de les víctimes.https://t.co/Ba4NXCsh8R
The required compliance with judicial decisions doesn't prevent disagreeing with it. I'm indignant over the 'Manada' case! // Today, more than ever, on the side of the victims.
Respeto las decisiones judiciales pero como mujer siento una gran preocupación al saber que están en la calle. Debe haber un claro y firme compromiso de todos a favor de la igualdad. Revisemos con consenso nuestro sistema penal para intentar evitar estas situaciones #LaManada
— Inés Arrimadas (@InesArrimadas) 21 de juny de 2018
I respect judicial decisions but, as a woman, I feel great concern knowing they're in the streets. There has to be a clear and firm commitment from all in favour of equality. Let's revise our penal system with consensus to try to avoid these situations.