Law professor denounces strip search at Congress

A professor of constitutional law at the University of Alicante has said that she felt her "rights to privacy and moral integrity have been trampled on" after being subjected to a strip search at Congress.

The incident took place two weeks ago when Mar Esquembre arrived at the seat of parliament as the guest of a Socialist deputy to attend a debate from the public gallery. But when she reached the security check point, it emerged that her surname did not correspond to that submitted in the initial request for a pass. Esquembre was then taken to a room where she told a "thorough search" would have to be conducted by a female police officer. "I thought that was appropriate because they have to check for weapons, but they left me in just a bra and with my trousers around my ankles. It was extremely humiliating," she said.

The incident occurred a week after three activists from the feminist group Femen stripped to their waists in the public gallery — displaying the slogan "abortion is sacred" — and hurling insults at lawmakers just before Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, who has been pushing for reforms to the existing laws on abortion in Spain, was about to answer a question from another deputy.

Congressional speaker Jesús Posada has asked for information about the Esquembre "incident," but added the security guards "know what they have to do." Opposition groups have lodged formal complaints about the "excessive zeal" exercised.