AUGC Raises Sexual Violence Case of Civil Guard to UN
AUGC reports to the UN the lack of protection and violation of rights of a female civil guard who was a victim of sexual violence within the institution
AUGC reports to the United Nations the inaction of the Civil Guard, which left a victim of sexual violence unprotected and violated laws protecting against gender-based violence
The Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC) has submitted a formal communication to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), reporting the serious violation of rights suffered by a female civil guard who was the victim of sexual violence, workplace harassment, and ongoing abuse by a superior officer, recently sentenced to 19 years in prison by the Supreme Court.
Beyond the legal sentence, AUGC warns that this case highlights a structural reality of institutional vulnerability within the Civil Guard: the victim was left completely unprotected despite internal complaints, reports written by commanders, and testimonies from colleagues. The institution’s harassment protocol was never activated, and the competent authorities decided to look the other way.
VIOLATION OF VICTIM PROTECTION LAWS
AUGC reports the flagrant breach of the following regulations:
Organic Law 1/2004 on Comprehensive Protection Measures against Gender Violence, which requires official action to be taken in cases of suspected violence.
Law 4/2015 on the Statute of Crime Victims, which recognises rights to protection, information, assistance, support and reparation.
Internal protocols of the Civil Guard on harassment, the application of which would have significantly reduced the damage caused.
To date, the victim has not received any financial compensation, either from the aggressor or from the institution, which was declared subsidiarily liable in the judgment itself.
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
AUGC emphasises that in this case, it was not just a crime committed by an individual, but a chain of omissions and silences within the Civil Guard:
- EMUME (Women and Children Protection Team) commanders and personnel who were aware of the facts and did not act.
- Internal complaints that were shelved without investigation.
- Colleagues who were targeted for raising the alarm.
- A culture of silence and lack of credibility towards the victim that multiplied the damage suffered.
DEMANDS
Before the UN, AUGC requests:
- Immediate and full reparation for the victim.
- Urgent reform of the Civil Guard’s harassment protocols, guaranteeing trusted external support and processing outside the chain of command.
- Cases of gender-based violence and harassment within the institution to be tried by independent judicial bodies, free from the influence of military commanders.
- International recognition that this case constitutes a violation of the fundamental rights of women in the security forces.
- Accountability for inaction in the commission of a crime.
CONCLUSION
The AUGC considers that this case is not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of a hierarchical structure protected by silence and impunity in the face of violence against women within the Civil Guard. We are therefore bringing this complaint before the United Nations so that the Spanish State is required to strictly comply with its international and national obligations in terms of equality and protection against violence against women.
Link to the original publication in AUGC website: https://www.augc.org/actualidad/augc-denuncia-onu-desproteccion-vulneracion-derechos-guardia-civil-victima-violencia-sexual-en-seno-institucion_23092_102.html