10 years after La Manada gang rape: convictions stand, law debated

A decade after the La Manada gang rape that shook Spain during the 2016 Sanfermines, all five perpetrators remain in prison serving sentences of 14 to 23 years, while the case continues to fuel debate over sexual consent laws and judicial reform.

The crime and public response

On 7 July 2016, five men — José Ángel Prenda, Jesús Escudero, Alfonso Jesús Cabezuelo, Antonio Manuel Guerrero, and Ángel Boza — gang-raped an 18-year-old woman in a portal in Pamplona. The attack sparked massive protests under the slogan "Yo sí te creo" and became a catalyst for Spain's fourth-wave feminist movement Source: El País.

Judicial journey and legal reforms

The initial conviction for "abuso sexual" (9 years) was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2019, who reclassified it as rape and increased sentences to 15 years Source: Infobae. This case partly inspired the 2022 "solo sí es sí" law, which eliminated the distinction between abuse and assault. However, the law also led to sentence reductions for three of the five convicts, from 15 to 14 years Source: El Confidencial.

Current status of the perpetrators

All five remain incarcerated. José Ángel Prenda, the only one to publicly apologize, works in Puerto III prison; his sentence ends in 2035 Source: La Vanguardia. Jesús Escudero works as a hairdresser in Huelva and may be eligible for parole in 2028. The others also show good conduct and some have obtained temporary permits Source: El Español.

Divergent views on the law

While activists praise the law's focus on consent, critics — including the defense lawyer — argue it unfairly reduced sentences and note that other serious sexual assaults received far less public attention Source: ABC.