The announcement

José Ignacio Landaluce, who has led Algeciras for 15 years according to El Mundo, said in a video posted on his social media accounts that he will leave office on Sunday, 25 October. He framed the decision as forced by the withdrawal of political support and by a censure motion scheduled for 28 October. Before resigning, he plans to hand the ceremonial staff of office to the Cristo de Medinaceli image on Saturday, 24 October, which he described as his last act as mayor. El Mundo reports that the image, popularly known as the Señor de Algeciras, will be named Perpetual Regidor of the city at a ceremony in the María Cristina Park, followed by an extraordinary procession. He will file his formal resignation after the handover.

“I want to reiterate that the facts attributed to me are completely false, and I know the truth will come out.”

The allegations

Landaluce faces complaints of alleged sexual assault brought by a young woman who is a member of Nuevas Generaciones, the youth wing of the PP. Europa Press and ABC describe the case as involving two PP militants. El País says a Violence against Women court in Algeciras has summoned him to testify as a formal suspect on 23 October over an alleged incident on 10 June in his office. LaSexta reports that the woman says the mayor touched her chest in his office in July while allegedly explaining breast self-examination. The reports give different dates for the alleged incident, and the allegations remain unproven. Landaluce has rejected them and said he would defend himself in court.

“I will defend myself before the courts and fight to show my innocence.”

Political fallout

The censure motion is described differently across outlets. Europa Press and ABC say PP and Vox presented it, while El País names PSOE and Vox. All outlets place it on 28 October, three days after the resignation date. El Mundo reports that PP, Landaluce's own party, had asked him to step down. Jacinto Muñoz, who had been first deputy mayor, would become the city's top municipal authority if the motion succeeds. Landaluce said the handover of powers will be orderly so that it causes no harm or stoppage to the council's interests.

The complainant's response

The young woman answered in an open letter published by the Europa Sur newspaper, saying she waited to file the complaint because she feared what would follow. She wrote that some of those fears had come true, and asked people to consider the harm their words can cause. She said she has known Landaluce for 15 years and never imagined anything like this would happen to her. She also said she was saddened by comments from other women who judged her without knowing her story. The letter follows her summons to testify before the judge of the second Violence against Women court in Algeciras, which is investigating the complaint.