A complaint filed with the Madrid Community Prosecutor's Office points to Francisco Martín Aguirre as responsible for the police actions on July 14. A 21-year-old lost a testicle after being struck by a baton.
The Madrid Community Prosecutor's Office has been investigating since Friday the Government Delegate in the region, Francisco Martín Aguirre, for his alleged responsibility in the police actions that took place in the early hours of July 14 in Cibeles Square and its surroundings. The complaint, filed by expert Guillermo Rocafort, includes a video and a photograph of a 21-year-old who lost a testicle after being struck with a baton while leaving the celebration area for Spain's advance to the World Cup final.
The events occurred following Spain's victory over France in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup. Hundreds of fans gathered in Colón Square and along the stretch of Paseo de la Castellana that connects to Cibeles to celebrate the win. According to the account of the affected young man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, he was retreating to the sidewalk when an officer grabbed him from behind and struck him in the genitals. "He grabbed me from behind and hit me squarely with the baton," he explained from the hospital. The next day, he underwent emergency surgery at a private facility, where doctors found that the testicle was severely damaged and decided to remove it due to the risk of necrosis.
The complaint accuses of prevarication, injuries, torture, and crimes against moral integrity
The document, registered on July 17 with the Prosecutor's Office led by Teresa Peramato, claims that the delegate "ordered the police to violently attack the fans." The complaint attributes to Martín Aguirre a "violent and uncontrolled" character and notes that there is a "great social alarm" surrounding his figure. Furthermore, the complainant links the delegate to structures he refers to as "government sewers" and claims he has been charged on "multiple occasions" for police violence. The Prosecutor's Office must now decide whether to open a preliminary investigation to analyze the facts.
This is not the first time Martín Aguirre's actions during street disturbances have ended up in court. In 2024, a Madrid court dismissed a similar complaint against the delegate for the police actions recorded on Ferraz Street during protests against the Amnesty Law, after the Prosecutor's Office recommended its dismissal. For now, the Government Delegation in Madrid has declined to comment on the case.
The family of the injured will file an individual complaint
Meanwhile, the family of the young man has announced that they will file an individual complaint, accompanied by the injury report, independently of the collective document directed against the Government Delegate. The father of the affected has insisted that his son "was celebrating peacefully" and that "he had done nothing nor confronted any police officer." The Samur services attended to the young man the same night of the events and initially recommended treatment with anti-inflammatories, but the severity of the injury necessitated surgical intervention.
The images circulated that night show officers striking several young people with their batons, some of whom ended up lying on the ground. The complaint filed with the Prosecutor's Office includes a video and a photograph of the hospitalized young man as graphic evidence. The complainant, Guillermo Rocafort, encourages citizens to file complaints en masse as a civic act to demand accountability.
For the residents of the Madrid Community, this case represents a new episode of tension between the Government Delegation and the public in a context of mass celebrations. The Prosecutor's Office will have the final say on whether the police actions were proportionate or if, on the contrary, fundamental rights were violated. In the meantime, the injured young man continues to recover at home, awaiting the justice system's determination on whether there were criminal responsibilities.
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