Spanish TV Reporter Groped On-Air Sparks Outrage and Arrest

A Spanish TV journalist reporting on a robbery in Madrid was inappropriately touched by a passerby while live on air, leading to widespread outrage and the subsequent arrest of the man involved.

Isa Balado, a reporter for broadcaster Cuatro, was approached by a man wearing white shorts and sunglasses who appeared to touch her buttocks before asking a question. Initially, Balado didn’t confront the man directly; instead, she informed him that they were broadcasting live. However, the newsroom presenter, Nacho Abad, inquired whether the man had just groped her. Balado confirmed, and, encouraged by the presenter, confronted the man.

In Spanish, Balado asked the man why he felt the need to touch her while she was conducting a live report, asserting her professionalism. The man denied any wrongdoing but, when pressed by Balado, offered an apology and asked if she wanted to call the police. He even playfully ruffled her hair before departing.

Spain’s national police subsequently arrested the man for sexually assaulting the reporter during her live broadcast. They shared a brief video clip of the arrest on the microblogging platform X.

This incident generated widespread anger in Spain, particularly in the wake of a controversy involving former Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales, who kissed footballer Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory over England on August 20 in Sydney, Australia.

Mediaset Espana, the owner of the television channel where Balado works, expressed full support for the reporter and condemned the intolerable situation she endured. Spain’s acting equality minister, Irene Mantero, also weighed in on the incident, emphasizing that non-consensual touching constitutes sexual violence and advocating for an end to impunity.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The Indian Express