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WORLD NEWS Friday 18 November 2022
Spanish minister accuses judges of ‘machismo,’ faces uproar

By CIARÁN GILES and Ángeles Carmona, mem-
JOSEPH WILSON ber of Spain’s General
Associated Press Council of the Judiciary
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s and president of its Ob-
magistrate associations servatory of Gender and
and main opposition par- Domestic Violence, not-
ty called Thursday for the ed that more than half of
country’s equality minister Spain’s judges are women
to resign after she accused and that all are required to
judges of “machismo” for undergo special training in
reducing prison sentences gender violence.
under a new sexual ag- Carmona said that her ob-
gression law that was never servatory had warned law-
intended to have that ef- makers of flaws in the writing
fect. of the sexual consent legis-
The “sexual liberty” law lation and that Montero’s
made sexual consent, or criticism of judges risked un-
a lack of it, a key determi- dermining women’s trust in
nant in assault cases and the justice system. “We had
revised the range of po- already issued a warning in
tential minimum and maxi- our report that what is hap-
mum prison terms, inadver- pening could take place,”
tently making it possible for Carmona said.
some convicted individuals Spain’s Equality Minister Irene Montero speaks with journalists in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday Nov. “(But) the justice system is
to have their sentences re- 16, 2022. Associated Press not sexist; it is not part of the
duced on appeal. patriarchy. The judges are
The legislation, popularly ingrained gender biases. crime sentences argue years off a 13-year sen- applying the law in impec-
known as the “Only yes Montero accused some they were required to rule tence given to a man who cable fashion.”
means yes” law, came into judges of not obeying the in the favor of defendants if threatened his ex-wife with Prime Minister Pedro Sán-
force last month. Now, one law, adding that the United the laws under which they a knife and raped her. chez appealed for calm
of Equality Minister Irene Nations has said systematic were originally convicted Opposition parties and and urged the judiciary to
Montero’s signature proj- sexism can lead jurists to have the potential penal- magistrate groups were reach a consensus on how
ects is threatening to prove misinterpret laws. ties changed. infuriated by Montero’s re- such case appeals are
politically damaging. “The problem is that we In one case, a Madrid court marks and blame the left- handled.
Revelations this week of have judges who are not recently lowered the sen- wing government and its The new gender violence
the reduced sentences in upholding the law,” she tence of a man convict- backers in Parliament for legislation was drawn up
at least 15 cases outraged said, arguing that sexist ste- ed of sexually abusing his passing a poorly drafted in response to the furor
the minister and support- reotypes blind some judges 13-year-old stepdaughter law. Two magistrate groups sparked by a gang-rape
ers of the law, who argued to seeing gender violence from eight to six years. and the conservative Pop- case during the 2016 San
that Spain’s judges needed for the crime it is. In another, a court in south- ular Party called for Mon- Fermin bull-running festival
more training to overcome Judges who reduced sex ern Granada took two tero to step down. in Pamplona. q

Despite U.N. efforts, quick Cyprus peace talks restart bleak

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Recep Tayyip Erdogan of searching for common the breakaway north from ish Cypriots) won’t succeed
Associated Press engaging in hostile rhetoric ground and finding under- southern Cyprus, where the in any of those aims and
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The and behavior in an effort to standing to move forward internationally recognized they haven’t, despite all
foreign minister of ethnical- rally nationalist supporters the issue of settlement,” government is seated. the Turkish propaganda,”
ly divided Cyprus offered ahead of Turkey’s presiden- Jenča said. “I say (Turkey and the Turk- Kasoulides said.q
a bleak outlook Thursday tial election in April. Cyprus divided into ethni-
for resuming stalled peace Kasoulides also cast doubt cally Greek and ethnically
talks any time soon even on the possibility of re- Turkish sides in 1974, when
though a senior United Na- newed talks facing better Turkey invaded following
tions official affirmed the chances after the election. a coup by supporters of
commitment of the world The minister spoke after the union with Greece.
body’s chief to remain en- U.N.’s assistant secretary- The government of Cyprus
gaged in resolving one of general for Europe, Cen- has strongly protested a bid
Europe’s most intractable tral Asia and the Americas, by Turkey to earn recogni-
conflicts. Miroslav Jenča, met with tion during an Organization
Foreign Minister Ioannis Cypriot President Nicos of Turkic States summit this
Kasoulides said the Cy- Anastasiades to scope out week for the breakaway
priot government hopes the chances for renewed Turkish Cypriot state in the
the chances of restarting negotiations. Jenča was island nation’s north.
the talks do not “get any scheduled to meet later The government also has
worse” over the next few Thursday with Turkish Cypri- objected to what it said UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and
months due to the actions ot leader Ersin Tatar. were numerous military the Americas Miroslav Jenca, right, Cyprus’ President Nicos
of Turkey and breakaway “I just would like to under- encroachments along Anastasiades, left, and Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Ioannis
Turkish Cypriots. line the commitment of the the 180-kilometer-long Kasoulides, rear left, talk during their meeting at the Presidential
palace in the divided capital, Nicosia, Cyprus, Thursday, Nov.
Greece and Cyprus have secretary-general to stay (112-mile-long) U.N.-con- 17, 2022.
accused Turkish President engaged in the process trolled buffer zone that splits Associated Press