Film producer Javier Pérez Santana, 55, has been released on charges after being arrested this Sunday for sexual assault that took place at the Feroz Film Awards gala party in Zaragoza on Saturday night. The victim is a woman who reported the matter to the National Police. Authorities are investigating another man who was also denounced by another attendee at the celebration. This second suspect, whose identity is known to the police, is part of the crew of one of the nominated films, along with Pérez Santana, according to the Association of Film Informers of Spain (AICE), organizer of the gala.
After the awards ceremony, around 200 people invited to the gala attended the Espacio Ebro in Zaragoza, the place reserved by the Los Feroz organization, to celebrate the post-event party. Among them was prisoner Javier Pérez Santana, producer of the feature film Mi vacío y yo directed by Adrián Silvestre, nominated for Feroz 2023 and Goya Awards. From one to three in the morning, participants could enjoy drinks at an open bar. From that hour the party lasted until six in the morning. Several witnesses interviewed by EL PAÍS report that they saw Santana, in an altered state, “kiss several men on the mouth and neck and touch her buttocks” without her permission.
The film producer maintained this stance, always following the accounts of those present, until an actress decided to denounce his behavior. Sources close to the victim have asked this newspaper not to publish his name. When the interpreter stopped him, the event’s security team intervened, according to a statement released this Sunday by the IAEC. “The security team at the event intervened as soon as they learned of the event, isolating the attackers and assisting the victims,” the text reads. “Police were requested to be present and these complaints and investigations were promptly addressed.”
As police went to the Espacio Ebro venue, a second victim reported a similar attack by another partygoer. According to both versions, the incidents happened between 4:00 and 6:00 in the morning. The police are investigating the participation of this man, who, according to the story collected by EL PAÍS, is also said to have acted inappropriately at the party. The Family and Women’s Care Unit (UFAM) is responsible for the investigation, police sources reported. Both complaints, that of the actress and that of another man, were dealt with together.
“Once it is clarified what happened, the alleged perpetrators of this unfortunate act will be banned from the Feroz Awards and all activities organized by AICE,” continues the AICE statement, showing its “denial” and “strongly condemning sexual assault.” “. ″.
The Zaragoza City Council, which ensures that it has no information on this matter, has regretted the information leaked through the media and has expressed its condemnation and opposition to any sexual assault. The President of the Government of Aragon, Javier Lambán, has expressed his “outrage” at the sexual assaults denounced at the Feroz Awards in a message published on his Twitter account, in which he describes both the “fact itself” and the deprecated “Negative image of Zaragoza projected”. In addition, she showed her “total support” to the victims and called for “the attackers to be punished and the organization to ask for explanations”.