A man was arrested in Madrid after he placed his hand on a journalist’s buttocks during a live television broadcast, national police said on Tuesday, amid the Luis Rubiales affair, named after the ex-boss of the Spanish footballer who subsequently resigned Forcibly kissing a player.
• Also read: Forced kiss scandal: Luis Rubiales resigns
“A man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a female reporter while she was reporting live on #Madrid TV,” police said on X, formerly Twitter, showing a man handcuffed from behind and being escorted by two officers .
The controversy began early Tuesday afternoon when a live broadcast by journalist Isa Balado was broadcast on the Cuatro television channel, reporting on a robbery on a street in Madrid.
As she holds her microphone in front of the camera, a man comes into the picture from behind and places his hand on her buttocks.
The young woman then asks him to let her work. On the set, the moderator, a colleague of the journalist, intervenes: “I’m sorry, Isa, I’m interrupting you, but did he put a hand on your butt?” He demands to be able to speak to the man in question: ” Give me that idiot,” he says.
The journalist confirms the gesture and turns to the attacker again to ask him to let her work. The camera then shows the man wearing sunglasses and denying touching her buttocks.
While asking him to leave the premises, the person strokes her hair before leaving.
While the young woman apologizes on set, the presenter doesn’t lose his temper and explains: “We filmed it (…).” You don’t have to be sorry. You do your job and then this idiot comes along and touches your ass live and without any rights.”
The television station said on its website that it had called the police.
For one of the station’s star journalists, Diego Losada, who is very famous in Spain, “attacking Isa is like attacking any of us.” In a society that we want to make better, that can no longer happen , this feeling of impunity can no longer exist.”
For her part, incumbent Equality Minister Irene Montero wrote on X: “Non-consensual touching is sexual violence and we say enough to prevent impunity.”
For three weeks, Spain has been rocked by the affair surrounding the president of the Spanish Football Association Luis Rubiales, who resigned after he unexpectedly gave player Jennifer Hermoso a kiss on the lips after the world crown of the female “Roja”.
Luis Rubiales will be summoned by an examining magistrate at 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) on Friday “to be questioned as a defendant” and to respond to allegations of “sexual assault” made against him.