Bill proposes tougher penalties for sex crimes

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill, introduced by the VOX parliamentary group, proposes raising penalties for several sex crimes, especially those committed against minors or people with disabilities, and removing the option of paying only a fine in some cases.
2. It restores the distinction between sexual assault (agresión sexual) and sexual abuse (abuso sexual), which Organic Laworganic law A law on fundamental rights, the electoral system or other matters the Constitution reserves. It needs an absolute majority in the Congreso: 176 votes. 10/2022 had merged into a single offense.
3. It creates the crime of gang rape (violación conjunta), when two or more people commit a rape, punishable by reviewable permanent imprisonment, whether the victim is an adult or a minor or person with a disability.
4. It raises prison sentences for crimes against minors and people with disabilities, and provides that for several of these crimes a fine can never replace the prison sentence.
5. It adds accessory penalties for all crimes in the title: loss of the residence permit or expulsion for foreigners, and loss of Spanish nationality if it was obtained by derivative acquisition.
6. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).

Who it affects

• People convicted of sex crimes: They would face higher prison sentences and, in some cases, loss of their residence permit, expulsion, or loss of Spanish nationality.
• Minors under 16 and people with disabilities needing special protection: They would receive greater criminal protection, with harsher penalties for offenders.
• Foreigners, whether residents in Spain or not: Committing these crimes would be an immediate ground for revoking the residence permit or expelling them from the country.
• Companies (legal persons) responsible for prostitution or sexual exploitation crimes: Accessory penalties under the Penal Code would be imposed on them mandatorily.

Words worth knowing

Prisión permanente revisable (reviewable permanent imprisonment)

The longest prison sentence in the Spanish system: in theory it lasts for life, but a court can review it and grant parole after a minimum period.

Adquisición derivativa (derivative acquisition)

Obtaining Spanish nationality through a route other than being born in Spain or to a Spanish parent, for example through residence.

Pena accesoria (accessory penalty)

A legal consequence added automatically to the main sentence (prison or fine), such as losing a permit or being expelled from the country.

Proposición de ley (proposed bill)

A text through which a parliamentary group proposes a new law. It is not a law until the Congress and the Senate approve it.

organic law

A law on fundamental rights, the electoral system or other matters the Constitution reserves. It needs an absolute majority in the Congreso: 176 votes.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries