Woman whose rape complaint triggered Spanish police chief’s resignation is ‘devastated’ after her identity is shared on social media

A Spanish police inspector who accused a senior colleague of sexual assault, prompting the latter’s resignation, is “devastated” after her identity was revealed and shared on social media, said her lawyer, Jorge Piedrafita. Speaking on Spain’s state broadcaster, TVE, the woman’s lawyer said that his client’s full name has been “circulating” in WhatsApp groups for police officers, and that she has since been “bombarded with messages and calls,” some of which were “supportive” of her decision to come forward with her complaint against a top police official, while others were threatening in tone. He also said that rumors and slander are being spread deliberately.

The accused officer is José Angel Gonzalez, who was serving as Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the National Police after being appointed in October 2018. His departure, and the rape accusation that triggered it, is also causing political turmoil for the leftist government of Pedro Sánchez, whose interior minister has offered to step down himself if the victim believes that he has “failed her.”

The Spanish prime minister, who has been dealing with several crises in recent months, said his government had only become aware of the complaint on February 17, and that it has acted “with empathy, coherently, and firmly.”

It was on Tuesday of this week, at 6 p.m., that the Ministry of the Interior — under whose authority the National Police operates — says it learned of the formal judicial complaint against González, who is popularly known within the force as “Jota.” Half an hour later, the news was making media headlines. González’s resignation came shortly after that.

Since then, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has been insisting that he had no prior knowledge of the complaint. On Wednesday he said that he felt “disappointed” by González, whom he regarded as a trusted aide. The minister has also threatened to sue anyone who insinuates that he covered up the case — “I will not tolerate slander of this kind” — and responded to the main opposition Popular Party (PP), which is demanding his resignation, stating that “if the victim believes that I have failed her, I will resign.” On Thursday the ministry said it has offered the complainant police protection, which she has accepted.

“Harassment campaign”

Meanwhile, the woman’s lawyer has disclosed some details about the case in various media interviews. He said that the matter has been handled discreetly until now due to the victim’s fear of reprisals, and that the chosen legal avenue to file the complaint— the courts rather than the police — was precisely for the same reason.

The complaint against González, who has been summoned by a judge as part of the investigation, accuses him of sexual assault, coercion, psychological harm, and embezzlement of public funds. According to his lawyer’s account, his client — who had been in a relationship with González — was taken to the latter’s “official residence, owned by the Ministry of the Interior,” where the defendant sexually assaulted her. The inspector maintains that the events took place on April 23, 2025, and that since then she has endured a “harassment campaign” and “pressure” to prevent her from reporting the incident. Police Commissioner Óscar San Juan — then González’s advisor — allegedly participated in this campaign, offering her any job she desired “in exchange for her silence.” The complainant has been on leave since July.

Piedrafita — who has been involved in other high-profile cases such as the one involving Luis Rubiales, the Spanish soccer federation president who kissed a player on the lips without her consent — said that his client is devastated by the disclosure of her identity and the dissemination of the complaint in social media groups used by “the more than 70,000 men and women in the force, with the aim of harming her. And now, with all sorts of rumors and slander being spread against her, well, frankly, it’s destroying her.” Piedrafita said that, “unfortunately,” these situations occur “when a victim is brave and reports the abuse.” “The powerful attack with all their resources,” he stated.

Regarding Minister Marlaska’s offer to resign if she says she did not feel protected, the lawyer stated that the woman feels “enormously disappointed” because she believed the former police chief would be immediately dismissed. “A person who has tarnished the uniform (...) does not deserve to be given the chance to resign,” he asserted.

That Jota and the complainant were involved in a romantic relationship was known in their inner circle, according to various sources familiar with the matter. The two had known each other for almost two decades.

In the complaint, the police inspector (who was promoted to that position in early 2025) describes a relationship of hierarchical superiority in which she was subject to Jota’s whims. “Hey, I’m the DAO,” he would say to her, “creating an intimidating environment,” she describes. The events that led the Madrid Court of Violence against Women No. 8 to open an investigation allegedly took place on April 23, 2025.

According to the complaint, González insisted on driving the victim to his official residence on Calle Alberto Alcocer Street in Madrid. Although the inspector repeatedly refused to get in the car, he insisted, and once inside the house, the alleged rape took place, which the woman is believed to have recorded with a device.

A surprising appointment

The position of DAO is freely appointed and falls to the Minister of the Interior, at the proposal of the Director General of the Police and following a report issued by the Secretary of State for Security. González’s appointment nearly eight years ago came as a surprise, as very few people had heard of him, even within the police force, despite the fact that he had joined in 1984. “More than half of us had to look him up on Google, nobody knew who he was,” says one source in the law enforcement agency. Over time, Jota earned respect: “He’s no intellectual, but he’s an honest guy,” one of his colleagues said. “Say what you will, but he’s a fair man, a good man,” union leaders pointed out.

Now, following the rape allegations by a subordinate, the surprise is even greater. “The police are in shock,” says one of his colleagues. High-ranking police officials have suggested that Minister Grande-Marlaska will choose a woman as the new DAO to resolve the crisis.

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