Six women have reported a physiotherapist from Lleida for sexual assaults committed, according to the accounts gathered in the complaints, during treatment. The Mossos d’Esquadra arrested him and the judge released him on charges, with the obligation to appear when required. The case was first reported by Segre.

The first three complaints led to the physiotherapist’s arrest. The next three came later. The man, a member of the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia, also works as a personal trainer at home, according to data gathered by Segre.

What is known about the complaints

The complainants describe assaults that occurred in the context of the consultation. The events under investigation would have taken place within the framework of the detainee’s professional activity, which combined physiotherapy with personal training at home. This dual activity broadens the settings in which the man had access to clients, according to the published information.

The arrest occurred as a result of the first three complaints. The remaining three were filed later. The court handling the case has so far not announced any additional measures regarding the investigated man, who remains free on charges and obliged to appear before the judicial authority when summoned.

The College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia

The investigated man is a member of the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia. The professional body has so far not made public any action in relation to the case. Nor is there any record that it has opened a disciplinary file or that it has precautionarily suspended the member.

The College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia brings together physiotherapy professionals in Catalonia and has among its functions the regulation of professional practice and disciplinary authority over its members. The institution has not publicly responded to the published reports.

The impact in Lleida

The case affects the province of Lleida and a municipality in Les Garrigues, where the detainee carried out part of his activity. The dual status of physiotherapist and home personal trainer means the man accessed private homes, which broadens the circle of people who could have had contact with him within the framework of his professional activity.

The complaints have been filed with the Mossos d’Esquadra, which is handling the proceedings. The investigation remains open and further complaints are not ruled out, according to police sources consulted by ACN.

What a victim can do

People who consider themselves victims of sexual assault can file a complaint with the Mossos d’Esquadra or with the duty court. In Catalonia there is a telephone helpline for women in situations of gender-based violence, operational twenty-four hours a day. The helpline for victims of violence against women is also available, and it leaves no trace on the phone bill.

A complaint can be filed even if time has passed since the events. Crimes against sexual freedom do not prescribe immediately and the time limit varies depending on the seriousness of the conduct. In the case of sexual assaults, the law does not require the victim to have previously filed a complaint in order to receive legal, medical or psychological assistance.

The professional context

Physiotherapy is a regulated health profession. Professionals who practice it must be registered with a professional college in order to work in the public health system and in most private centres. The College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia is the public-law corporation that brings together these professionals in Catalonia.

Personal training at home, by contrast, does not require mandatory college registration. It is an activity that can be carried out with a sports qualification or, in some cases, without specific regulation requiring a particular certification. This difference in requirements between the detainee’s two activities explains why he could operate in two different spheres with different levels of oversight.

Release on charges

The judge released the detainee on charges. This procedural figure means that the investigated man remains subject to the judicial proceedings and obliged to appear when summoned. Release on charges does not prejudge the outcome of the case: the judge may adopt more severe precautionary measures as the investigation progresses.

The investigation remains in the hands of the Mossos d’Esquadra. The proceedings remain open and the court handling the case has so far not provided further details on the status of the procedure or on the steps taken.

What is not known

The exact number of clients who have passed through the detainee’s practice is not known. Whether the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia has opened any internal action is not known. Whether the man has testified before the judge or what he has stated is not known. Whether the investigation extends to other municipalities besides Les Garrigues is not known.

Nor is it known whether the complainants have requested protection measures or have joined the case as a private prosecution. The case is at the investigation stage and most of the proceedings are under a secrecy order or have not become publicly known.

The next step

The court handling the case must decide whether to keep the release on charges or adopt more severe precautionary measures. The Mossos d’Esquadra will continue with the investigation. The College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia, for its part, has the authority to open a disciplinary file if it considers that the events under investigation affect the professional practice of one of its members.

The six complainants have filed their respective complaints with the Mossos d’Esquadra. The procedure continues its course in court. The investigated man remains free on charges and obliged to appear when required.