The prosecution is seeking seven and a half years of imprisonment for former district deputy Josep Ramon Balanzat on charges of abuse and sexual harassment connected to his role as coordinator of the adult school in Sóller, Mallorca. The case, which centers on alleged misconduct by the Ibizan professor, will be heard in Palma State Court following days of pretrial proceedings. The allegations involve two students and a cousin, with two of the victims described as underage at ages 12 and 17.
Balanzat, who served as an assistant to Els Verds Eivissa from 1995 to 1999 and later as Managing Director of Cooperation from 2007 to 2011, faces two counts of sexual abuse and one count of sexual harassment. The public prosecutor contends that the reported incidents occurred between October and November 2020 while he held the positions of coordinator and teacher at the Sóller adult school. One student recalls an incident in which Balanzat allegedly slapped her while in class, an action she says occurred when she was 17 years old. On another occasion, Balanzat is accused of guiding a student out of the classroom and touching her breast. He is alleged to have expressed a desire to kiss her and to engage in sexual activity for payment.
The prosecutor notes that Balanzat sent messages to another student and shared photographs in which he referred to a sexual scenario as if it were acceptable. In one exchange, she responded that she could not accept his advances, stating that he could at least allow her to appear attractive in a video call.
Additional charges describe an alleged sexual act involving a 12-year-old boy who is a cousin of one of the students. It is claimed that Balanzat entered a classroom where the younger boy was alone, complimented him by saying he was very handsome, and kissed him on the lips. The indictment from the Ministry of Finance notes that three victims suffered psychological disturbances as a result of these events.
Alongside the seven and a half year sentence, the Prosecutor’s Office is seeking a total of 9,000 euros in compensation to two injured parties. The Palma County Court has scheduled the hearing for the coming days, with proceedings planned to take place over the next two days.
Balanzat, a trained teacher, has a background connected to Los Verdes as a regional political figure in Spain. A previous case from 2015, linked to his teaching at Palma prison, involved allegations that nude photographs were shown to students. That matter was eventually archived after forensic review. These ongoing proceedings reflect a broad concern about safeguarding within educational institutions and the handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by staff. [Source: Local press coverage; attribution pending]