In 2017, following an alcohol-fueled party, José Mara López assaulted a female contestant on the reality TV program. A former Big Brother Spain contestant was given a 15-month prison sentence for sexually harassing a fellow contestant.
After the attack, the footage was never broadcast, and Lopez was fired from the program.
The judge stated that Lopez was “driven by a lustful impulse” and was aware that the victim was “in a drunken stupor”
In 2018, the victim reported the incident to the police. The trial was scheduled to begin in February 2022 but was delayed due to her inability to testify.
Before the assault, López and the woman were in a relationship inside the Big Brother house.
The judge stated that López removed the victim’s pants while they were sharing a bed, and then made “sexual movements” under the duvet.
The victim said “I can’t” before “the defendant’s lewd movements continued for several minutes, until the victim’s face and arm were uncovered, revealing her unconscious state, prompting [the producers] to intervene,” the judge wrote.
José Mara López stated that he was unaware that his victim was incapacitated.
El Pas reported that the judge stated he regarded the victim as a “sex toy” without “the slightest hint of consent and, consequently, freedom on her part in what occurred.”
The producers showed the victim the video of the assault in the confession room the following morning.
Although López was given a 15-month sentence, it is unknown whether he will serve any time behind bars.
People who receive a sentence of fewer than two years and have no prior criminal record are not always required to serve time in prison under Spanish law.
A four-year restraining order prohibiting López from contacting the victim was also issued by the magistrate. He was ordered to compensate her with €6,000 (£5,298).
The Spanish production company responsible for the program, Zeppelin Televisión SA, must also compensate the victim for “moral damage” caused by insufficient support.
Two years after the assault occurred, a Spanish news website, El Confidencial, released footage of the instant producers showing the victim the assault video.
1999 marked the debut of Big Brother in the Netherlands. It is a popular reality television program in which contestants reside in a purpose-built house for several weeks without access to the outside world, and all of their actions are videotaped.
The program has been involved in a number of controversies, including in 2006 in Australia when two male contestants were removed for assaulting a female contestant.
What the victim was informed
According to the video published by El Confidencial, this is what the victim and Big Brother said after showing her images of the attack.
Victim: Will people observe this? The voiceover guarantees that the images will not be displayed or distributed in any way. Where is he located?
Voice: José Mara has been permanently expelled.
Victim: So, I cannot even communicate with him, correct?
Voice: No. We want you to know that this type of conduct is not tolerated by our organization.
Victim: Neither do I approve of it; how could I? What feels unjust is that I cannot communicate with him because he has not spoken to me. You are well aware that he did not tell me; you are well-informed.
Voice: We would like you to know that you have our complete emotional and familial support.
Victim: I would rather speak with my pals outside the Big Brother house than with a psychologist. And I require your assurance that none of this will be disseminated, as I intend to discuss it all.
Her request to see her companions is denied by The Voice.
You and José Mara should not discuss this matter outside of this room.
She begs to be let out of the diary room, but the door will not open until an executive producer and a psychologist arrive to transport her to a nearby hotel.
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