municipal sentence
Carlos Aranda, a member of parliament for Citizens in Teruel, was detained on a complaint of sexual abuse. The incident occurred last Sunday when he was already on parole. He spent a single night in jail and was immediately removed from his role overseeing the Sports and Village District portfolio and was expelled from his party’s ranks after the allegations surfaced. The local community and the mayor appeared visibly shaken, with the mayor stating that there would be zero tolerance in such a situation.
The arrest followed a report to the National Police Service by a 20-year-old who said he went to the police station after leaving his home. According to information reported by El Periódico de Aragón, part of the Prensa Ibérica group, the complainant and the council member were said to have met first in a bar in the capital for discussions, and later another meeting took place elsewhere where cell phones were exchanged. The next morning, around 06:00, the complainant reportedly went to the council member’s residence. He alleged that Aranda touched his genitals without permission.
That sequence of events prompted the police to proceed to the council member’s home, where he was arrested in the presence of officers. The accused allegedly claimed that anything beyond his twenties was not a concern to him, but this statement was later withdrawn as police reviewed WhatsApp messages exchanged between the two parties.
The Teruel Court of Investigation number 3 described the defendant as a liar, noting that the council member allegedly deceived the young man by suggesting the intention was to offer shelter or lodging for the night, only to commit sexual acts without consent later in the evening, once the young man was at home. After the encounter, Aranda reportedly continued to call the complainant, even while the police were present at the scene.
As a precaution, the judge ordered that the victim be kept at least 300 meters away from the council member and prohibited any form of communication. The court also restricted the council member from approaching the town of Teruel or the residence of the complainant. The newspaper has withheld the victim’s name to protect privacy.
municipal sentence
The events drew immediate condemnation from the mayor, Emma Buj, who had already signed a measure suspending the councilor’s duties at 8:00 a.m. The political group Ciudadanos did not formally remove him from office until a replacement could be designated, after which his delegated powers were transferred to Mayor Nuria Tregón. A formal statement was issued announcing Ciudadanos’ disassociation from the councilor and initiating an internal inquiry.
Aranda assumed leadership of the councilor group in 2019 following the resignation of colleagues aligned with the orange faction, including Francisco Blas, who had previously faced penalties for petty theft.