Spanish playwright arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of 15-year-old girl in public

Madrid police arrested playwright, screenwriter and stage director Ramón Paso last weekend on suspicion of sexual abuse of 15-year-old girl in public.

Paso also faces another open case for several alleged sexual assaults on women between the ages of 18 and 25, between 2018 and 2023.

A couple of passersby reported Paso after seeing him with the victim near Paseo del Prado. According to their account, the man was touching the girl's legs and kissing her. She was allegedly sitting on his lap.

The police intercepted Paso and the girl near the Bank of Spain and immediately detained the playwright. He identified himself as the girl's drama teacher and, although he admitted to the events, clarified that he was comforting her after an incident.

The young woman, while initially maintaining the same version of events, admitted to having had a relationship with the playwright.

The police took Paso to the family and women's assistance unit of the National Police, who have taken over the investigation.

The girl's parents were shocked to receive the news, as they knew the playwright and were unaware that their daughter was with him. They have since filed a complaint against Paso.

In April 2024, the prosecution in Madrid filed a complaint against Ramón Paso for alleged several counts of sexual assault on women between the ages of 18 and 25.

The victims said that the incidents had occurred between 2018 and 2023. According to lawyer Luisa Estévez Martínez, who represents 14 complainants, most of the assaults took place when the women were at the beginning of their careers and attending casting auditions in which Ramón Paso was involved.

Paso is the grandson of playwright Alfonso Paso and great-grandson of writer Enrique Jardiel Poncela.