In 2023, crimes against sexual freedom reached an unprecedented high, with at least 21,580 victims reported. A staggering 86% of the victims were women and girls, while the remaining 14% were men and boys, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.
For the first time, this type of crime surpassed 20,000 cases in a single year.
The numbers mark a sharp 13% rise from the previous year and are double the figures recorded in 2015, underscoring a troubling trend. Among the most common offenses were sexual assault and abuse without penetration, which accounted for 12,981 victims—roughly 60% of the total cases.
Santiago Abascal, leader of the VOX party, didn’t mince words as he placed the blame squarely on current government policies. “These are Sánchez’s numbers. These are the victims of Sánchez’s policies,” he asserted, pointing to what he sees as a failure to protect women.
Abascal continued with a fiery critique: “Women’s freedom and rights are being erased by those who release sex criminals and flood our streets with men who don’t respect women. Rapists, abusers, and murderers belong in jail for life. For those who don’t respect our culture, a one-way ticket home. And for women, freedom.”
The grim statistics have sparked a heated debate about accountability and the effectiveness of policies aimed at safeguarding sexual freedom. As the country grapples with these alarming figures, the need for robust measures to combat such crimes has never been more urgent.
