Spanish journalist Issa Palato was beaten and touched without permission while in the middle of a duplex. The suspect was arrested a short time later by the police.
An unacceptable scene on Spanish television. Isa Palado is a journalist working for the channel Four In Spain, she was sexually assaulted this Tuesday while doing a duplex for the show “En Boca de Todos” (on everyone’s lips, editor’s note) in Madrid.
Unauthorized hitting and touching of hair
The journalist was speaking near a business whose owners were arrested after they attacked a thief who was also arrested. As she begins to talk about the news, a man appears in the background and without saying a word approaches the journalist and attacks her. She then tries to continue the duplex, but the man is by her side.
“Excuse me please, but did he put his hand on your butt?”, Nacho Abad, the host of the show, tells his colleague.
“Yes,” replies Issa Palato.
The journalist begins to discuss his actions with the individual, then asks him to let him work while asking him to “tell the truth.” After a few moments he leaves without looking amused by touching the journalist’s hair.
He reappeared after some time during a new duplex with the journalist. “I don’t want to give him any importance,” declared Issa Palato, noting that he wasn’t the only one bothered by the man in question.
Channel support
Nacho Abad, a journalist who specializes in criminal affairs, announced that the show’s team had called the police after being outraged on set by the “stupid” behavior.
“All my support for Issa Ballado. Touched by a great professional live behind her. It’s intolerable!”, wrote X, ex on Twitter.
The Mediaset España group, which owns the Cuatro channel, expressed its “total support” for Eisa Palado after the “intolerable situation he experienced today”.
The National Police later contacted X about the incident, indicating that the suspect was arrested hours after the attack. A video of the arrest was taken and shared by authorities on social media.
“‘Normal’ Is Not Normal Anymore”
Spain’s Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, also offered her support to the journalist, recalling that non-consensual touching is “sexual violence”.
“So far ‘normal’ is no longer normal,” said a member of the Spanish government, using the hashtag #SeAcabo (that’s enough, editor’s note), a slogan widely used in Spain to support the soccer player.
A major protest movement has been launched in Spain in recent weeks after an episode at the Women’s World Cup in which Spanish confederation president Luis Rubiales kissed Jenny Hermoso after his team’s crown. Luis Rubiales initially refused to leave his post despite being mobilized. He finally announced his resignation last weekend.