Sumar admits “detection and prevention” failures in the Errejón case and asks for forgiveness

Sumar Movement has admitted this Saturday that its “prevention and detection mechanisms” failed and has apologized to the women “who have suffered sexual violence” by Sumar’s former spokesperson in Congress, Íñigo Errejón, who resigned this Thursday after a series of accusations of sexist behavior. The training ensures that it acted “quickly” as soon as it became aware of the information.

“The Sumar executive has decided to carry out the necessary actions so that these situations do not happen again. We want to apologize to all the people who have had their trust in Sumar broken. The executive is working to make the first decisions,” said the spokesperson for the formation and Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, in a press conference called in an extraordinary manner to announce the decisions that the Executive of Sumar has taken after the resignation of Errejón.

Íñigo Errejón resigned this Thursday forced by Sumar after a series of sexual harassment accusations. At 2:33 p.m. this Thursday, the former leader of Sumar Íñigo Errejón announced through a message on As explained from his own party throughout the afternoon of Thursday, Errejón’s decision came after he himself acknowledged to the leadership of the formation that he had maintained “sexist behavior” such as those attributed to him through social networks. .

Shortly after, the actress Elisa Mouliaá presented a complaint to the Family and Women’s Assistance Unit (UFAM) of the National Police in which she recounts a sexual assault for which she blames the already former deputy Íñigo Errejón, as reported by laSexta y elDiario.es has confirmed. The matter is already in the hands of a Madrid court that must decide in the coming days whether to open a case against Sumar’s former spokesperson.

This Saturday the Executive Group of Sumar has decided on a series of first measures, which have been detailed by the spokesperson for Feminismos, Amanda Andrés. First of all, “continue with the internal procedure to clarify any fact that may have taken place that is contrary to the feminist values ​​of our organization.” Then, “establish channels and mechanisms for reparation, support and accompaniment to those who have been affected.”

They will also launch and develop “protocols for preventing and addressing situations of sexual harassment and assault and also those for preventing sexist, lgtbiphobic, racist or discriminatory behavior.” And they will develop a “training program on sexist violence and sexual violence.” These trainings will be mandatory “for all those people who are part of the coordination management bodies and who hold public positions.”

Sumar already approved in its constituent assembly in March, in Villaverde, a Feminist Strategic Plan that obliged all public officials to receive training on sexist violence, language, masculinities, and the construction and exercise of power. The document sought to be a guide for an “internal framework” that allows “feminist practices” to be implemented within the organization. The party anticipated that it would have its own budget and urged an internal body to launch, execute, monitor and evaluate it.

“We act quickly”

Urtasun has repeated several times that they acted as soon as they learned of the facts. “If we had had the information earlier we would have acted much sooner. We have to assume responsibilities for it and that is what we are doing,” defended the spokesperson.

This is the answer he gave when asked about an anonymous complaint published on social networks approximately a year and a half ago, before the campaign for the general elections on July 23. In that complaint, a girl reported that Errejón had touched her ass and that her friend and Más Madrid deputy Loreto Arenillas had intervened to “mediate” and prevent her from making it public or reporting it.

The Twitter profile that published the complaint shortly afterwards deleted the thread in which it recounted the events, but the organizing festival spoke about the complaint in a post and stated that the corresponding actions had been initiated. That fact did not have much public impact until this Thursday, after Errejón’s resignation, when some people recovered it to point out Arenillas.

The Más Madrid executive met urgently this Friday to request the dismissal of Arenillas. Más Madrid states in a statement that they asked Arenillas for explanations at that time and considered the case closed, so in view of this week’s events they asked for the dismissal of their regional deputy and spokesperson for Women. Shortly after that statement, the deputy herself announced that she was leaving the minutes, denied having mediated to cover up the case, explained that she brought the facts to the attention of the then Secretary of Organization and today spokesperson in the assembly, Manuela Bergerot, and denounced being a “scapegoat” for his own organization.

Urtasun this Saturday did not want to go into whether the decisions taken by Más Madrid, which is part of the Sumar coalition in the Government and in Congress, are appropriate or if the responsibilities assumed have to point higher. Nor has it responded directly to the question of whether they were aware of that complaint at that time. “We are perfectly aware that the prevention mechanisms failed and we assume our responsibility for it. The moment Sumar’s management had the information, we acted quickly and forcefully. The management learned of the information this week,” Urtasun said. “If we had known the information earlier, Errrejón would have left much earlier. The mechanisms failed, as is evident.”