The 38th Court of Instruction in Madrid has decided on Wednesday to prosecute former Podemos MP Pablo Echenique for an alleged hate crime for publishing on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that “it is much more likely that a priest will commit a crime of sexual assault against minors than a migrant person will.”
In a ruling dated Wednesday, to which Europa Press has had access, the judge considers that, “given that the facts reported could constitute an alleged crime of discrimination and hatred, it is appropriate to follow the procedures for the abbreviated procedure,” that is, that it places him one step away from taking it to trial.
Judge Carlos Valle has thus transferred the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and to the complainant, in this case Abogados Cristianos, so that they “can draw up a written accusation, requesting the opening of oral proceedings in the manner prescribed by law or the dismissal of the case, without prejudice to the possibility of requesting, exceptionally, the practice of the complementary procedures that they consider essential to formulate the accusation.” The resolution is dated one day after the former deputy denied before the judge that with his tweet he wanted to criminalize all priests.
His intention was “quite the opposite” of what he is accused of, the former deputy himself summed up on Tuesday after his statement. “In my tweet I propose that just as it is absurd to criminalize all migrants for the crimes that some of them may commit, it would be equally absurd to criminalize all priests for the crimes that some of them may have committed,” he said in response to questions from the media.
Echenique said that he made this “ironic contrast between two absurdities” to respond to the words of the Archbishop of Oviedo, Jesús Sanz, about migrants, and that he would repeat the tweet. “But at no time am I criminalizing an entire group, nor is that my intention. In fact, my intention is to explain that just as the group of priests cannot be criminalized, neither can the group of migrants be criminalized,” he said.
The former MP told the media that the case “has no merit” and added that if his message were criminal, “half of Spaniards would have committed very similar crimes.” Echenique also asked that the case be referred to the Provincial Court of Madrid so that it can be archived, considering that he has not committed any crime.
Christian lawyers hope that oral proceedings will be opened against Echenique
The president of Christian Lawyers, Polonia Castellanos, has applauded the judge’s decision and has indicated that she is confident that an oral trial will finally be held. “Attacks on Catholics are increasing and it is essential that justice condemns these acts,” she added.
Christian Lawyers denounced Echenique for publishing this message on May 10 on X, in which he added that, “from the point of view of public safety, it would be more effective to deport priests than to toughen immigration policy.”
The former MP reacted in this way to some words on the reception of immigrants by the Archbishop of Oviedo, who said: “Within this do-gooder openness, people who are unwanted can sneak in.”
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