Lugo, October 2: A judge in Spain recently dismissed a case where several girls and women were secretly filmed urinating in public and videos were uploaded on porn websites. The decision by Judge Pablo Muñoz Vázquez of a local court in Viveiro town has led to intense debate on women's rights in Spain. The victims were recorded urinating in public during Maruxaina festival in the northwestern town of Cervo in 2019. Xavier Novell, Spain's Youngest Bishop, Resigns From Church to Enter Into Wedlock With Erotic Novel Writer.

Around 80 girls and women were recorded via hidden camera when they were urinating in a side street because of a lack of facilities. The unknown perpetrators had uploaded the videos showing, in many cases, close-ups of the women's genitals and faces, on porn sites, according to a report by BBC. When the affected women found out about the videos, many of them took legal action last year.

They demanded an investigation into the incident on the grounds that their right to privacy had been violated. However, Judge Pablo Muñoz Vázquez observed that because the videos were recorded in a public place they cannot be deemed criminal, dismissing the case. Court documents, the BBC report said, showed that the judge also decided that there was "no intention to violate the physical or moral resistance" of the women affected.

The court threw out the case on the grounds that the women were urinating in public "where they could be seen by anyone passing by". The ruling did not go down well with many, including Spain's Minister of Equality Irene Montero who tweeted, "taking photos of a woman without her consent and spreading them is sexual violence. "A woman on the street or in public space still has her right to privacy intact. Advances in women's rights have to be applied from all branches of the State," she added.

A massive rally was held against the court's order in Lugo where thousands of women marched for their rights. Meanwhile, Women for Equality Burela (Bumei), a survivors and rights group, has filed an appeal against the order to dismiss the case.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2021 08:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).