An Alarming Situation for the Madrid Politician
Rita Maestre, spokesperson for the municipal group Más Madrid, has made a serious complaint that highlights the dangers of digital harassment. For approximately a year, her personal address has been linked to sex service advertisements online, leading unknown men to show up at her home.
In an emotional video shared on social media, Maestre recounted how the first unexpected visits were interpreted as mistakes. However, the recurrence of these incidents led her to confront a disturbing reality: “On the fourth time, one of those guys came up shouting ‘Rita, open the door for me’,” she explained. This man claimed to have been in contact with her through a Telegram channel.
Faced with this untenable situation, Maestre decided to file a formal complaint with the Police. After several weeks of investigation, the authorities informed her that someone close to her was disseminating her address with malicious intent. The last unwanted visit occurred just two weeks ago and was characterised by the visitor's inebriated state.
The Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Inma Sanz, expressed the full support of the City Council towards Maestre and publicly condemned the events. In a press conference following the municipal Government Board, Sanz assured that she would receive “all the protection she needs” and that possible reinforcements to her security measures would be evaluated.
Maestre considers this type of attack as a clear form of harassment aimed at intimidating her in her most private space. “It is disgusting, an invasion of privacy,” she stated, visibly affected. Furthermore, she expressed her concern for her young daughters and how such situations could impact them: “It angers me that at any moment they could bang on the house.”
Despite the fear this experience generates, Maestre remained resolute in stating that she will not allow these acts to interfere with her political career: “To the harassers, I want to say something: you will not succeed. It is you who are losing.” She also criticised the anonymity on the internet as a facilitator for such abusive behaviours and linked these attacks to her identity as a feminist and progressive woman.
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