Blog category
Sexual Offenses
43 articles on sexual offenses: penalties, case law and defense strategy. See the practice area →
Accused of a Sexual Offence in Spain: Steps and Defence
If you have been reported or investigated for a sexual offence in Spain, the first rule is not to testify without a lawyer (Art. 118 LECrim). What to do and not do, and the procedural roadmap.
The new EU directive on child sexual abuse: what changes and how it will affect Spain
Provisional EU deal (22 June 2026): penalties of up to 10-12 years, limitation periods of up to 32 years from adulthood, and new AI offences.
Groping and Unwanted Touching: Sexual Assault and Defence (Art. 178 CP)
After LO 10/2022, sexual touching without consent is sexual assault (Art. 178 CP), punishable by 1 to 4 years. We explain the classification, the penalties and the lines of defence.
Alcohol and sexual consent in Spain: when intoxication turns an encounter into sexual assault (Art. 178 CP)
When alcohol overrides the capacity to consent and turns an encounter into sexual assault under Art. 178 CP, the penalties it carries and how it is defended.
Cyber Sexual Harassment in Spain: Which Offences Apply and How to Defend (Art. 172 ter CP)
Cyber sexual harassment is not a single offence: it covers stalking, grooming, threats and sharing intimate images. Offences, penalties and defence in Spain.
Digital Exhibitionism before Minors: Article 185 CP on Webcam, Video Calls and Social Media
Digital exhibitionism falls under Art. 185 CP when obscene exhibition before a minor is done by webcam, video call or social media: six months to one year in prison.
Group sexual assault in Spain: how Article 180.1.1 CP aggravates the joint action of two or more people
What the joint-action aggravating factor in Art. 180.1.1 CP means, the penalties it triggers in a group sexual assault, and the genuine lines of defence.
The Mandatory Sexual Anti-Harassment Protocol: Compliance and the Employer's Criminal Liability in Spain
Why every Spanish company must implement an anti-harassment protocol and how its absence can drag the employer into criminal liability by omission.
Needle spiking in Spain: what offence a syringe jab is, the penalties it carries and how it is defended
What offence needle spiking is in Spain, the criminal types that may apply, the verified penalties and the keys to defending a spiking charge.
Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images: Art. 197.7 CP
Sexting between adults is lawful, but sharing those images without consent is a crime: Art. 197.7 CP punishes revenge porn with prison and a fine.
Non-Consensual Sexting and Forwarding Intimate Images (Art. 197.7 CP)
Article 197.7 CP punishes sharing intimate images obtained with consent. Each forward is a separate offence in Spain: elements, penalties and defence.
Private Prosecution in Sexual Offences: How the Victim Exercises Their Rights in Spain
What private prosecution means for a sexual offence victim in Spain, the rights under the Victim Statute, and how compensation is claimed (Art. 116 CP).
Public Indecent Exposure in Spain: the Art. 185 CP Offence and Its Defence
What public indecent exposure is, why it is only an Art. 185 CP offence when minors or specially protected persons are present, its penalties and its defence.
Sexual Deepfakes: Criminal Defence Against AI-Generated Pornographic Montages
No specific offence covers sexual deepfakes in Spain: they are prosecuted via moral integrity, privacy, honour and, where the victim is a minor, virtual pornography.
Sexual Harassment by Abuse of Superiority: Art. 184.2 CP in Spain
Art. 184.2 CP aggravates sexual harassment where the perpetrator abuses a position of superiority or threatens a harm: one to two years in prison.
The Crime of Sexual Harassment: Art. 184 CP, Modalities and Defence (2026)
Art. 184 CP punishes requesting sexual favors where this creates an objective, serious intimidating or humiliating situation. Modalities, penalties, defence.
Sexual Provocation of Minors: Art. 186 CP in Spain
Art. 186 CP punishes selling, distributing or displaying pornographic material to minors: six months to one year in prison or a 12 to 24-month fine.
Sexual Assault of a Minor Under 16 in Spain: Art. 181 CP and How It Is Defended
Art. 181 of the Spanish Criminal Code punishes sexual acts with a minor under 16 with 2 to 6 years. We explain the penalties, the close-in-age clause and defence.
Sexual assault with penetration (rape) in Spain: what Article 179 of the Criminal Code says and how it is defended
What rape is after Spain's consent reform, the penalties set out in Art. 179 CP, how Art. 180 aggravates them, and the genuine lines of defence.
Online Grooming of Minors: Article 183 of the Criminal Code
Online grooming of a child under 16 for sexual purposes is punished under Art. 183 CP. We explain the two offences, the penalties and the defence.
Voyeurism and the covert recording of intimate images: what Article 197 CP punishes
Recording another person in a private setting without their consent is an offence (Art. 197.1 CP). We explain the reasonable expectation of privacy, the penalties and the lines of defence.
Exhibitionism & Sexual Provocation: Arts. 185 & 186 CP and Defence (2026)
What Articles 185 and 186 of the Spanish Criminal Code punish: acts of obscene exhibition and distribution of pornographic material to minors or persons with disabilities, penalties and defence.
Corruption of Minors: The Offence of Art. 189 CP (2026)
Art. 189 CP punishes using minors in exhibitionist or pornographic shows and the production, distribution or possession of child pornography. Conduct, penalties and defence.
Abuse of a Position of Superiority or Authority: What Spanish Criminal Law Punishes Today
After LO 10/2022, "sexual abuse" no longer exists as a separate offence: exploiting a position of superiority is now a form of sexual assault under Art. 178 CP. We explain the framing, the penalties and the lines of defence.
Workplace Sexual Harassment: The Offence of Art. 184 CP (2026)
Art. 184 CP punishes requesting favors of a sexual nature at work where this creates an objective, serious intimidating, hostile or humiliating situation. Offence, aggravations and defence.
Child Sextortion in Spain: Legal Protocol (2026)
Sextortion of minors combines extortion (Art. 243 CP), grooming (Art. 183 CP) and child pornography (Art. 189 CP).
Sextortion in Spain: Criminal Defence and Digital Forensics (2026)
Sextortion combines extortion (Art. 243 CP), disclosure of secrets (Art. 197.7 CP) and threats (Art. 169 CP).
Chemical Submission (GHB, Drink Spiking): Defence After LO 10/2022
Accused or victim of an offence involving chemical submission? We analyse how it is proven, the substances involved, the aggravating circumstance…
False Sexual Assault Accusations in Spain: How to Defend Yourself (2026)
Falsely accused of rape or sexual assault? A complete defence guide: credibility expert reports, digital data extraction, presumption of innocence and a…
Age of Sexual Consent in Spain: 16 Years
What is the age of sexual consent in Spain? We analyse Art. 183 bis and the Romeo and Juliet exception.
Removing Records from the Sex Offender Registry: Deadlines
Entered in the Sex Offender Registry? Periods of 10-30 years, the effects on employment and how to have the record cancelled.
False Sexual Offence Accusation: How to Act (2026 Guide)
Have you been falsely accused of a sexual offence? Legal guide: the SVA-CBCA protocol, digital evidence, a counter-complaint and the rights of the accused.
Hidden Cameras: What Offence Is Recording Without Consent in Spain
Is it an offence to place hidden cameras in changing rooms or bathrooms? Art. 197 CP and the criminal consequences.
Pre-Constituted Evidence: the Minor's Testimony
How pre-constituted evidence works: the Gesell chamber, the rights of the defence and the grounds for challenging it.
Sexual Assault by a Partner: When a Spouse Commits an Offence
Can there be rape within marriage? Yes. Sexual assault between partners and its concurrence with gender violence.
Key Supreme Court Rulings on Sexual Offences (2024-2026)
The most relevant Supreme Court rulings: consent, pre-constituted evidence, mistake of fact, sentence reviews and deepfakes.
Street Sexual Harassment: Is It an Offence in Spain? Criminal Analysis 2026
Is catcalling an offence? We analyse when street harassment crosses the criminal threshold in Spain.
Supervised Release After a Sexual Offence: Duration and Appeals
Everything about supervised release: 5-10 years after prison, the conditions (GPS, treatment) and how to bring it to an early end.
Accused of Sexual Assault in Spain: Defence Guide
Facing sexual assault charges? Learn about your rights under the new consent-based law and defence strategies.
The Presumption of Innocence in Sexual Offence Cases in Spain
Is the victim's word enough to convict in a sexual offence? A practical analysis of Supreme Court case law and the requirements to rebut the presumption of…
Child Pornography (Art. 189 CP): Criminal Defence
The possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material carries severe penalties. We explain the difference between simple possession and…
Sexual Offences 2026: Balance of 'Only Yes is Yes' and New Defences
Three years after the reform, we analyse how courts interpret consent and the importance of digital evidence in defence.
Sexual Offences Reform: A New Legal Paradigm
Comprehensive analysis of Organic Law 10/2022 and its real impact on criminal defence strategy, sentence review, and the interpretation of consent.
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