Five men convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman at the Pamplona bull running festival in 2016 were released on bail on Friday, reigniting outrage over the case which has led to mass protests calling for tougher punishment of sex crimes.
The men, who joked about the assault in a Whatsapp group called "The Wolf Pack", were cleared of rape but convicted of the lesser crime of sexual abuse in April. Both the perpetrators and the victim are appealing the nine-year prison sentences, meaning the convictions are not final.
Three of the men, who were held in a Pamplona prison since the day after the events took place in 2016, were seen walking out and getting into vehicles on Friday evening.
A court in the northern region of Navarra decided to free the men after two years in custody, while they await a final sentence, arguing that there was little chance of repeat of offences. Two years tends to be the limit for provisional imprisonment in Spain.
The state prosecutor had originally asked for sentences of more than 20 years each for rape, which in Spain requires a plaintiff to present evidence of specific violence, such as being threatened with a knife or dealt physical blows.
All five, who are from the southern city of Seville and include a former policeman and a former soldier, were ordered to pay 6,000 euros ($7,000) bail, report to police three times a week and relinquish their passports.
(Source: Reuters)
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