The Spanish government has apologised to victims of sexual assault as loopholes were discovered in the country’s new sexual consent law. It turned out that the law that was meant to toughen penalties for sexual crimes in the country ended up giving relaxations to some convicted offenders.

Under the new provisions, at least 104 offenders have been released from jail whereas at least 978 others have got their sentences reduced. In Spain, offenders can get their sentences modified retroactively if the penal code is changed.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke to the El Correo newspaper on Sunday and said, “I ask victims for forgiveness for these undesired effects.” “I don’t think any MP, including those … who voted against the law, is OK with lowering the sentences of sexual aggressors,” Pedro Sánchez added.

<h2>What is Spain’s new sexual consent law?</h2>

The new law, popularly known as “only yes means yes” law, came into effect last October. The prime objective of this law was to define all instances of non-consensual sex as rape. The change made in the penal code was aimed at making sexual consent, or lack of it, a key factor in determining assault cases.

Watch:&nbsp;Spain's farmers protest against holding river water flow

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In making consent the key factor, the new law also made it clear that passivity and silence can no longer be taken as consent, which must be “freely manifested through actions that … clearly express the person’s wishes”.

<h2>How did the new law help some sexual offenders?</h2>

To understand this, we can look into the 2016 “wolf pack” gang rape case of Spain. Five men were accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in Pamplona. Later, it was found out that the victim reportedly did not object to the sexual assault. However, the Spanish Supreme Court did take the consent into consideration and sentenced each man to 15 years in prison under rape charges.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/end-of-an-era-50-year-old-spanish-athlete-emerges-out-of-cave-after-500-days-582704">Extreme experiment: A 50-year-old Spanish athlete emerges out of cave after 500 days</a>

Now, the lawyers of the offenders are planning to seek a reduction in the sentences of their clients as consent has now become a key factor in determining sexual assault.

<h2>What’s the Spanish government doing about the loopholes?</h2>

The government has promised to close the loopholes, and the left-leaning government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has already submitted changes to the Parliament for examination. “We will put a solution on the table to resolve these problems,” Sánchez promised.

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The Spanish government has apologised to victims of sexual assault as loopholes were discovered in the country’s new sexual consent law. It turned out that the law that was meant to toughen penalties for sexual crimes in the country ended up giving relaxations to some convicted offenders.

The Spanish government has apologised to victims of sexual assault as loopholes were discovered in the country’s new sexual consent law. It turned out that the law that was meant to toughen penalties for sexual crimes in the country ended up giving relaxations to some convicted offenders. Under the new provisions, at least 104 offenders have been released from jail whereas at least 978 others have got their sentences reduced. In Spain, offenders can get their sentences modified retroactively if the penal code is changed. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke to the El Correo newspaper on Sunday and said, “I ask victims for forgiveness for these undesired effects.” “I don’t think any MP, including those … who voted against the law, is OK with lowering the sentences of sexual aggressors,” Pedro Sánchez added. What is Spain’s new sexual consent law? The new law, popularly known as “only yes means yes” law, came into effect last October. The prime objective of this law was to define all instances of non-consensual sex as rape. The change made in the penal code was aimed at making sexual consent, or lack of it, a key factor in determining assault cases. Watch: Spain's farmers protest against holding river water flow × In making consent the key factor, the new law also made it clear that passivity and silence can no longer be taken as consent, which must be “freely manifested through actions that … clearly express the person’s wishes”. How did the new law help some sexual offenders? To understand this, we can look into the 2016 “wolf pack” gang rape case of Spain. Five men were accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in Pamplona. Later, it was found out that the victim reportedly did not object to the sexual assault. However, the Spanish Supreme Court did take the consent into consideration and sentenced each man to 15 years in prison under rape charges. Also Read | Extreme experiment: A 50-year-old Spanish athlete emerges out of cave after 500 days Now, the lawyers of the offenders are planning to seek a reduction in the sentences of their clients as consent has now become a key factor in determining sexual assault. What’s the Spanish government doing about the loopholes? The government has promised to close the loopholes, and the left-leaning government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has already submitted changes to the Parliament for examination. “We will put a solution on the table to resolve these problems,” Sánchez promised. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Spanish govt under fire for passing law that helped sexual offenders reduce sentences

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain's famous Bull Run festival is back. Six people were injured in Pamplona's second bull run.

6 injured, nobody gored as Spain's famous Bull Run festival is back

Thousands of revellers raised candles and red scarves in the air and swayed back and forth as they sang a mournful song to mark the end on Sunday of Spain's most famous bull-running festival in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-supreme-court-finds-five-men-the-pack-guilty-of-gang-rape-229353&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjT7ImhkLbjAhWf7HMBHWB4D8wQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3lcSTtwpexcAIc4iOnTz8H">Pamplona</a> which saw eight daredevils gored this year.

"Poor me, poor me, the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/three-gored-2-suffer-head-trauma-on-first-day-of-spanish-bull-running-festival-233853&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiWu-SDkLbjAhUYS48KHdrGBMcQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2w9mRrbWAhVamNFqVFei5Q">San Fermin fiesta </a>has come to an end," the crowd sang just after the stroke of midnight in front of the city hall in the Plaza Consistorial as fireworks lit up the sky above.

"People of Pamplona, the San Fermin festival is over, the best festival in the world," Pamplona mayor Enrique Maya said from the balcony of city hall to cheers from the crowd just before the singing began.

The nine-day San Fermin festival, which dates back to medieval times, features concerts, religious processions, folk dancing, and round-the-clock drinking.

But the highlight is a bracing, daily test of courage against a thundering pack of half-tonne, sharp-horned bulls.

Each morning hundreds of runners, many dressed in white with red scarves and sashes, test their valour by sprinting with six half-tonne bulls along an 850-metre (2,800-foot) course through the narrow streets of the city in northern Spain.

The most daring try to run as long as they can right in front of the beasts' horns before veering off to the side or diving under the wooden barriers that separate the bulls and runners from the thousands of spectators from around the world that line the route.

Two Australians aged 27 and 30, as well as a 25-year-old Spaniard, were gored during the final bull run of the festival on Sunday by a half-tonne fighting bull which became separated from the pack moments into the run and began charging people in its way, regional health authorities said.

The three men suffered injuries to the armpit, arm, and leg from the bull's horns.&nbsp;

Isolated bulls are more likely to get disoriented and start charging at people.

That brought to eight the total number of daredevils who were gored by a bull during this year's fiesta.

Saw blood

At the end of the festival's first run, a bull ran over and sunk one of its horns deep in the neck of a 46-year-old lawyer from San Francisco, Jaime Alvarez, narrowly missing key arteries.

He was injured as he was trying to take a video-selfie with his mobile phone.

"It was like a truck or car just hitting me in the side of the head. I put my hand on my neck and I saw blood," he told US television from a Pamplona hospital.

He was released from the hospital two days later.

Another 23-year-old American from Kentucky and a 40-year-old Spaniard were also gored that day.

In addition to the eight men who were gored, another 27 people were taken to hospital for broken bones and bruises suffered during the bull runs.

About 500 more people were treated at the scene for more minor injuries, according to the Red Cross.

Deaths

The festival, made famous worldwide by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises", claims scores of casualties every year although last year just two men were gored.

Sixteen people have been killed in the bull runs since records started in 1911.

The last death was in 2009 when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in the neck, heart, and lungs.

The bulls face almost certain death in afternoon bullfights, and earlier this month animal rights activists staged a "die-in" demonstration in the streets of the city to protest the tradition.

Thousands of revellers raised candles and red scarves in the air and swayed back and forth as they sang a mournful song to mark the end on Sunday of Spain's most famous bull-running festival in Pamplona which saw eight daredevils gored this year.

Thousands of revellers raised candles and red scarves in the air and swayed back and forth as they sang a mournful song to mark the end on Sunday of Spain's most famous bull-running festival in Pamplona which saw eight daredevils gored this year. "Poor me, poor me, the San Fermin fiesta has come to an end," the crowd sang just after the stroke of midnight in front of the city hall in the Plaza Consistorial as fireworks lit up the sky above. "People of Pamplona, the San Fermin festival is over, the best festival in the world," Pamplona mayor Enrique Maya said from the balcony of city hall to cheers from the crowd just before the singing began. The nine-day San Fermin festival, which dates back to medieval times, features concerts, religious processions, folk dancing, and round-the-clock drinking. But the highlight is a bracing, daily test of courage against a thundering pack of half-tonne, sharp-horned bulls. Each morning hundreds of runners, many dressed in white with red scarves and sashes, test their valour by sprinting with six half-tonne bulls along an 850-metre (2,800-foot) course through the narrow streets of the city in northern Spain. The most daring try to run as long as they can right in front of the beasts' horns before veering off to the side or diving under the wooden barriers that separate the bulls and runners from the thousands of spectators from around the world that line the route. Two Australians aged 27 and 30, as well as a 25-year-old Spaniard, were gored during the final bull run of the festival on Sunday by a half-tonne fighting bull which became separated from the pack moments into the run and began charging people in its way, regional health authorities said. The three men suffered injuries to the armpit, arm, and leg from the bull's horns. Isolated bulls are more likely to get disoriented and start charging at people. That brought to eight the total number of daredevils who were gored by a bull during this year's fiesta. Saw blood At the end of the festival's first run, a bull ran over and sunk one of its horns deep in the neck of a 46-year-old lawyer from San Francisco, Jaime Alvarez, narrowly missing key arteries. He was injured as he was trying to take a video-selfie with his mobile phone. "It was like a truck or car just hitting me in the side of the head. I put my hand on my neck and I saw blood," he told US television from a Pamplona hospital. He was released from the hospital two days later. Another 23-year-old American from Kentucky and a 40-year-old Spaniard were also gored that day. In addition to the eight men who were gored, another 27 people were taken to hospital for broken bones and bruises suffered during the bull runs. About 500 more people were treated at the scene for more minor injuries, according to the Red Cross. Deaths The festival, made famous worldwide by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises", claims scores of casualties every year although last year just two men were gored. Sixteen people have been killed in the bull runs since records started in 1911. The last death was in 2009 when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in the neck, heart, and lungs. The bulls face almost certain death in afternoon bullfights, and earlier this month animal rights activists staged a "die-in" demonstration in the streets of the city to protest the tradition.

Famed Spanish bull run festival ends with 8 people gored this year

Every summer Sergio Colas joins hundreds of other runners for Pamplona&#39;s annual bull-run, but unlike them, he cannot hear the roaring crowds or the bulls thundering through the winding streets of the Spanish town&#39;s mediaeval centre. 
 
Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of the mass of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored or trampled by the specially-bred bulls, which can weigh up to 650 kilograms. 
 
Although some tell him he shouldn&#39;t run, the 35-year-old native of Pamplona says his deafness may even be an advantage as the din of the festival can distract runners from the danger bearing down upon them.&nbsp;Over the past century, 15 people have died in the San Fermin run and many are gored by the bulls&#39; horns each year. Several Spaniards have already been killed in bull-runs elsewhere in the country this summer. 
 
&quot;The most important thing in the bull-run is what you see, and I see more than others do,&quot; said Colas, who this year celebrates his 20th year of taking part in the event. 
 
The San Fermin bull-run began as a religious festival in the Middle Ages and gained global fame following writer Ernest Hemingway&#39;s 1926 novel &quot;The Sun Also Rises&quot;. 
 
With close to a million Spaniards and foreign revellers now cramming into the northern Spanish town of Pamplona every year for the nine-day event, Colas says he can no longer distinguish the vibrations caused by the bulls and those by the crowd. 
 
&quot;I used to be able to feel the vibration of the stampede and that of the bells of the steers,&quot; he told Reuters in an interview, referring to the tame, guiding bullocks which run alongside the bulls. 
 
But now the sound of the hooves pounding on stone-laid streets is no longer a sure guide. 
 
Each year Colas begins in the same spot where, unable to hear the blast of the run&#39;s starter rocket, he climbs a street shop&#39;s security doors to see the bulls as they come charging towards him. 
 
&quot;I like it when the run goes very quickly because more gaps open up in the crowd and I can handle the speed of the bulls and have a cleaner sprint,&quot; he said. 
 
Colas, who works at a local factory run by carmaker Volkswagen , performs one small ritual before the race. He takes a medallion which hangs around his neck and kisses the image of Saint Fermin, namesake of the festival. 
 
When he ran for the first time at the age of 15, his mother, Begona, only found out when she happened to see a photo of him in a local newspaper.&nbsp;Initially wary, she gradually came around to the idea as running with the bulls was a family tradition. His father, Txema, has been taking part for 40 years. 
 
And for the moment at least, Colas has no plans to hang up his running shoes.&nbsp;&quot;When I&#39;m in front of the bulls, I have so much adrenaline,&quot; he said. &quot;This is why I keep running&nbsp;because I love it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored

Every summer Sergio Colas joins hundreds of other runners for Pamplona's annual bull-run, but unlike them, he cannot hear the roaring crowds or the bulls thundering through the winding streets of the Spanish town's mediaeval centre. Deaf from birth, Colas has to rely on the movement of the mass of people around him to complete the almost kilometre-long dash without being gored or trampled by the specially-bred bulls, which can weigh up to 650 kilograms. Although some tell him he shouldn't run, the 35-year-old native of Pamplona says his deafness may even be an advantage as the din of the festival can distract runners from the danger bearing down upon them. Over the past century, 15 people have died in the San Fermin run and many are gored by the bulls' horns each year. Several Spaniards have already been killed in bull-runs elsewhere in the country this summer. "The most important thing in the bull-run is what you see, and I see more than others do," said Colas, who this year celebrates his 20th year of taking part in the event. The San Fermin bull-run began as a religious festival in the Middle Ages and gained global fame following writer Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises". With close to a million Spaniards and foreign revellers now cramming into the northern Spanish town of Pamplona every year for the nine-day event, Colas says he can no longer distinguish the vibrations caused by the bulls and those by the crowd. "I used to be able to feel the vibration of the stampede and that of the bells of the steers," he told Reuters in an interview, referring to the tame, guiding bullocks which run alongside the bulls. But now the sound of the hooves pounding on stone-laid streets is no longer a sure guide. Each year Colas begins in the same spot where, unable to hear the blast of the run's starter rocket, he climbs a street shop's security doors to see the bulls as they come charging towards him. "I like it when the run goes very quickly because more gaps open up in the crowd and I can handle the speed of the bulls and have a cleaner sprint," he said. Colas, who works at a local factory run by carmaker Volkswagen , performs one small ritual before the race. He takes a medallion which hangs around his neck and kisses the image of Saint Fermin, namesake of the festival. When he ran for the first time at the age of 15, his mother, Begona, only found out when she happened to see a photo of him in a local newspaper. Initially wary, she gradually came around to the idea as running with the bulls was a family tradition. His father, Txema, has been taking part for 40 years. And for the moment at least, Colas has no plans to hang up his running shoes. "When I'm in front of the bulls, I have so much adrenaline," he said. "This is why I keep running because I love it." (Reuters)

One man's silent run with Pamplona's thundering bulls

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