513 incidents recorded in nearly five years

Female prison officers in Catalonia have faced 513 episodes of misogynistic violence between 1 January 2022 and 30 September 2026, according to the 'Forat lila a les presons' report by the Marea Blava association, using data from the Department of Justice and Democratic Quality. The breakdown includes 211 cases of sexist behaviour, 192 instances of verbal sexual violence, 58 acts of exhibitionism, and 51 physical sexual assaults. In 2026 alone, up to the end of September, there were 95 recorded incidents: 38 verbal assaults, 37 sexist behaviours, 13 exhibitionist acts, and 6 physical assaults.

Young inmates three times more likely to offend

Despite making up only 9.6% of the prison population, 916 out of 9,527 inmates as of September 2026, those aged under 25 are responsible for 35.2% of all misogynistic incidents over the past five years. The report highlights that this age group commits such acts at a rate three times higher than adult inmates.

Underreporting due to fear and normalisation

Marea Blava describes the figures as "scandalous" but warns the true scale may be worse. Some incidents are not formally recorded because they occur during more serious altercations or due to administrative errors. More critically, staff often do not report assaults due to distrust in the system, fear of retaliation, shame, or the belief that such behaviour is normal in a prison environment.

These attitudes are entirely unacceptable in any workplace, yet they are being tolerated behind bars.

Zero tolerance policy enforced

Domingo Estepa, Director General of Penitentiary Affairs at the Generalitat, stated that all misogynistic conduct receives a serious disciplinary response, with zero tolerance in place. Measures include:

  • Flagging inmate records to alert staff and ensure female officers are never alone with high-risk individuals
  • Imposing stricter regimes, including solitary confinement, regardless of court decisions
  • Referring all cases to the judiciary and providing re-education through treatment teams

While physical assaults against female officers account for 25% of all assaults in Catalan prisons, the Generalitat insists every case is treated with the utmost seriousness.

Sources: CatalunyaPress.