SPAIN’S top copper has resigned in disgrace after being accused of sexual assault by a junior colleague, with a court appearance pencilled in for March 17.
A junior female officer alleges that Jose Angel Gonzalez, the former director of operations of the Policia Nacional, sexually assaulted her and then tried to intimidate her into silence.
She has filed a criminal complaint, represented by lawyer Jorge Piedrafita.
According to the complaint, the alleged assault occurred on April 23, 2025.
The officer says Gonzalez repeatedly called her while she was on duty in Madrid and ordered her to get into an unmarked car to meet him at a restaurant.
She initially refused, due to work responsibilities, but eventually agreed.
From there, she says he asked her to drive him to his official Madrid residence, where the assault took place.
She ‘verbally, expressly, emphatically and continuously’ refused his advanced, the complaint states.
Piedrafita said the assault caused the officer injuries and continued until she was able to break free and flee the residence.
Following the incident, she claims she was subjected to months of harassment and pressure intended to prevent her from reporting him.
That night, she says, Gonzalez called her 17 times and later sent WhatsApp messages calling her ‘an idiot’ and ‘stupid,’ attempting to belittle her and shift blame.
On May 22, 2025, the officer spoke with Gonzalez after informing him she intended to file a complaint.
During that conversation, she says he berated her, telling her: “Go to hell. I regret ever meeting you. You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He allegedly also offered career opportunities to influence her, while his chief advisor, Commissioner Oscar San Juan Gonzalez, is said to have offered her any job she wanted in exchange for silence.
According to the complaint, the officer had previously been in a relationship with Gonzalez, which ‘was characterised from the outset by a clear asymmetry of institutional power’ due to his position as her superior.
She says she ended the relationship but Gonzalez ‘did not accept’ it and an ‘obsessive pattern of harassment and unwanted contact’ which culminated in the assault began.
Following the incident, the officer went on psychological leave.
Piedrafita described the trauma as severe but said she hopes the truth will emerge and that ‘no woman, especially within the police, will experience a situation like the one she has experienced simply for being a woman and doing her job.’
He also confirmed that the officer recorded her interactions with Gonzalez from the start because she sensed a dangerous situation, describing the recordings as ‘chilling’ and ready to be submitted to the court.
González resigned immediately after the allegations became public, following pressure from the interior ministry.
The Jupol police union called for his removal, stating: “We respect the presumption of innocence, but he cannot remain in charge even a minute longer to preserve the honour of the Policia Nacional.”
The union also urged interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to resign, describing him as Gonzalez’s ‘biggest supporter’.
Marlaska appointed González as Director of Operations in 2018, when he was Chief Superintendent of the Aragon police force.
Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in Madrid’s Court for Violence Against Women on March 17, where the alleged victim will also testify.
Click here to read more Crime & Law News from The Olive Press.
