20
May
2026
Watch
Rights, support and protection of victims of crime (debate)
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, with the amendment of this directive we had a historic opportunity to ensure respect for the victims and their families. Tributes are still held in Spain today –ongi etorri— the murderous terrorists of ETA, so that the criminalisation of the crime of glorification of terrorism would have been crucial and has not been achieved for lack of political courage, following Sánchez’s wake of pleasing and whitewashing terrorism. Of course, the red carpet has been set so that progress can be made in imposing an ideological agenda that is imposed on States, regardless of inconsistencies with their legislation. It has been sad to see the efforts of most groups in this House, including the People's Party, to introduce for the first time in European legislation the explicit mention of abortion as a service to which women victims of multiple types of crime are entitled, not just sexual violence. Actually, this was the political goal. You have just celebrated it, ladies and gentlemen, despite the fact that, in order to achieve it, other types of protections for important victims have had to be waived. Victims deserved a directive focused on their dignity, their rights and the defence of their memory, but once again the priorities of this House have been different: use the pain of the victims as a vehicle to continue imposing an ideological agenda that no one has voted for.