Spanish News Brief – Tuesday 19 December 2023

Tuesday starts in Spain with the Institute of National Statistics (INE) publishing the service sector activity indicators for October, and the business and turnover figures for industry for the same month. In Europe, EU Energy Ministers will study a possible extension to the energy emergency measures. Outside the euro area, investors will be watching the Bank of Japan’s inflation figures.

According to the 2023 Spanish survey on drug use among secondary school students aged 14-18 and the National Drug Plan’s report on addictive behaviours, problematic internet use has decreased slightly among this age group compared to 2021 while gambling with money both online and in-person has remained stable. The report also provided data for the first time on the number of people beginning treatment for behavioural addictions. For adults aged 15-64, both in-person and online gambling with money decreased slightly compared to 2020 according to the survey data.

The Provincial Court of A Coruña will hold the trial against a man accused of indecent exposure to minors in the municipality of Culleredo, Spain. On May 5, 2022, a witness saw the accused naked from the waist down masturbating about 10 metres away from small children and teenagers. The man hid behind an electric turret but was still visible to the minors. The Prosecutor’s Office requests an 18 month fine of 10 euros per day and a prohibition order for the crime of exhibitionism.

A Colombian national is on trial in Spain for allegedly possessing and attempting to sell nearly 100 grams of low-purity pink cocaine, a mixture of caffeine, ketamine, and MDMA. The Guardia Civil stopped his car in 2021 and found the drugs, a precision scale, and bags for packaging them. The prosecutor is asking for a five-year prison sentence for the man.

A man is on trial accused of sexually assaulting his wife’s daughter from age 7 to 17. According to prosecutors, he would touch and penetrate her vaginally from age 9 and anally from age 11. The girl presents symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and social issues. Prosecutors are requesting 14 years in prison, then 6 years of supervised freedom, and a 16-year ban from working with minors. They are seeking €24,000 in compensation for the victim.

Hospitality venues are confused by a new Tax Office ruling stating that IVA on containers for customers to take unfinished food home as part of the new Food Waste Law should be 21%. This contradicts the typically lower 10% IVA rate in the hospitality sector, and those containers have to be provided for free under the waste law. It remains unclear if the food waste prevention law will come into effect as it is currently shown as “expired” on the Senate website, with amendments still being considered in September 2023.

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