Spanish journalist Isa Balado was beaten and non-consensually touched during a duplex television livestream. The suspect was arrested by police a few hours after the incident.
Isa Balado began her apartment in front of a shop in Madrid to tell of a news story that happened there when she received a beating from a passerby. The scene, broadcast live on the Cuatro channel, sparked strong reactions. Starting with the other journalists on the show “En boca de todos” (on everyone’s lips, editor’s note).
“I don’t want to attach any importance to it at all”
After seeing the sexual assault, Nacho Abad, host of the show, spoke up and asked his colleague: “Please excuse me, but did he put his hand on your butt?” To which Isa Balado replied: “Yes”.
Despite everything, the journalist continued to report on the shopkeeper’s attack on a thief she was standing in front of. But eventually she stopped talking to her attacker about his inappropriate actions. He then told her to “tell the truth” before touching her hair and then disappearing for a short time.
A little later the individual reappeared when the journalist arrived again. “I don’t want to attach any importance to it at all,” Isa Balado said at the time.
The attacker was arrested
The show team quickly called the police after the incident, reveals Sud Ouest. The attacker was arrested a few hours after the physical attack on Isa Balado. The state police published the video of the arrest on X (formerly Twitter).
A post that satisfied Internet users. “I love happy endings,” “Congratulations,” or “The handcuffs suit him perfectly,” we can read in the comments to the tweet.
A wave of support
This attack, filmed live, sparked strong reactions. “My full support goes to Isa Balado. A great professional player who got her butt touched live. This is unbearable!” wrote journalist Nacho Abad on X.
The Mediaset Espana group, owner of the channel Cuatro, assured Isa Balado of full support after the “unbearable situation she suffered today,” BFMTV reports.
Irene Montero, Spain’s equal opportunities minister, recalled that non-consensual touching constituted “sexual violence” after expressing her support for the journalist.