The Feroz awards, held this Saturday in Zaragoza, ended in the worst possible way with two complaints of sexual assault, which took place at the end of the party that was held after the award ceremony.
Javier Pérez Santana, a 55-year-old film producer, was arrested for these events and was brought before the courts yesterday afternoon. Late at night, the court ordered his release with charges and he could be seen leaving the place on the run while he covered his face with his jacket. The National Police is also investigating the participation of another man, although for now there is no evidence that he has been arrested.
The denounced events took place between four and six in the morning, during the party that was held after the gala in the Espacio Ebro, located in a park built on the outskirts of Zaragoza for Expo 2008. Among the attendees was Pérez Santana, a member of the Testamento production company, who went to the capital with the feature film Mi vacío y yo, finalist for the Arrebato Non-Fiction Award. His director, Adrián Silvestre, and the protagonist of the film, Raphaëlle Pérez, Raphi, whose true story tells a film also nominated for a Goya, attended with him.
The organizing entity, the Association of Cinematographic Informants of Spain (AICE), said that the event’s security team intervened as soon as they learned of the facts to isolate the attackers and help the victims. Immediately afterwards, they requested the presence of the Police, which “immediately” took charge of the complaints and the investigation. Apparently, the moment the agents arrived at the premises was when a second victim of these alleged non-consensual touching – an unidentified man – also decided to file a complaint.
After his arrest, the producer was taken to a police station. For their part, the victims formalized their complaint on Sunday before the agents of the National Police, whose family and women’s unit has taken charge of the investigation. Later, it was confirmed that one of the victims of this attack is Carmen Jedet Izquierdo, artistically known as Jedet, an actress, singer and activist for LGTBIQ rights. Born in Girona in 1992, she began in the world of television playing supporting roles in Looser and in the popular comedy series Paquita Salas. But her fame came to her with the series La Veneno, where she gave life to Cristina Ortiz, alias La Veneno, one of the icons of the LGTBIQ collective in recent decades in Spain. Her performance was recognized with an Ondas Award for Best Actress, which helped launch her career.
Jedet was one of the many famous faces that captured the flashes during the red carpet of the Feroz awards, held in the Multipurpose Hall of the capital. During the after party, she was also seen spinning music alongside the dj and encouraging people to dance. According to the complaint, her attacker would have “touched her chest.”
The agents are compiling the version of the numerous witnesses present at the party to clarify what happened, and they are also investigating the other suspected man, who accompanied the alleged attacker, but who has not yet been arrested.
The IAEC issued a statement in which it “strongly” repudiated and condemned the events. Her president, María Guerra, expressed her “displeasure and tremendous sadness” at what happened and assured that the perpetrators of these touching and harassment will be “banned for life” from the acts they organize. Contacted by this newspaper, the association did not want to make any further statements and referred to what was stated in its press release.
Throughout the day there were signs of rejection. The Zaragoza City Council, which for the second consecutive year hosted the event, “deeply” regretted what happened and reiterated its “absolute condemnation and rejection” of any sexual assault, while trusting that the ongoing investigations can clarify what happened.
Also the president of the community, the socialist Javier Lambán, expressed his indignation and showed his “total support” for the victims. “You have to punish the aggressors and demand explanations from the organization,” he wrote on his social networks.