Luis F. Durán / Daniel Somolinos Madrid

Madrid

Updated Tuesday, April 2, 2024-00:53

Last Friday, March 29, in Madrid, the Civil Guard arrested a 28-year-old music teacher from the private school Sek Internacional El Castillo, in Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid), accused of sexual assault (touching) four of his students. second year of early childhood education (four years). The agents continue with the investigations to try to find out if there are more victims.

They suspect that there may be new cases.

The arrested person was placed at the disposal of Court number 6 of Móstoles, which ordered his release with charges of four crimes of sexual assault on minors under 16 years of age. In addition, three precautionary measures were imposed on him: withdrawal of his passport and prohibition of leaving Spain, distancing of 500 meters from minors and the school and prohibition of working with minors in both the private and public spheres. After his arrest, the judge authorized the entry and search of his home, where

computers and a mobile phone were seized.

He is now waiting for the dump of his devices to try to further investigate the reported facts. Likewise, the court is waiting for the examination (taking the minors to demonstrate) of the victims in court as pre-constituted evidence. The SEK school has dispensed with the teacher and yesterday sent a statement to parents. He also activated the protocols for this type of crime and has transferred the case to the educational inspection and the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office.

According to the first data, the teacher was hired at the beginning of last year, in September 2022, to teach the subject of music to children. He taught piano and trumpet classes and also led the Primary choir. His students were preschool and primary school children and

several of the children called him "dad", due to the close relationship he had with the minors.

His arrest occurred by agents of the Villaviciosa de Odón Judicial Police team last Friday of Holy Week, after the teacher returned from a trip outside of Spain. It was 15 days ago when a father went to school to report that his son told him that the music teacher had touched his private parts below the waist.

The parent asked the school for explanations and then went to report the case to the Civil Guard. The agents began the investigations, went to the center, took photographs of the place where the touching took place and spoke with the parents of the other students who went to that same class. Two other boys and a girl indicated that they had been victims of the same crimes,

a point that other children from that same classroom have corroborated as witnesses before the Civil Guard.

Three other parents have denounced the teacher, so there are now four cases being investigated.

The parents of some children have expressed their discomfort with the school, since, according to them,

the center has guaranteed by protocol that all classes of school activities such as music, swimming or gymnastics are given with the presence of at least two teachers

. "The teacher and an assistant should be there and it has not been fulfilled," said the father of a student yesterday. The school assures that it has contacted all the families of the children who attend classes with the detained teacher to inform them. However, some of these parents indicated that they have found out about the case through WhatsApp and that there is a lot of anger.

In the statement provided yesterday by the SEK, a possible inappropriate conduct by a teacher at the school's Music School, referring to early childhood education students, is indicated. «In accordance with our internal protocols and the legislation of the Community of Madrid, we immediately began the necessary investigation. This investigation included calls to all the families whose children in preschool and primary education had had classes with the reported teacher, and to the teachers in their closest environment.

The relationship with the Educational Inspection has been permanent, and on March 27 we notified the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office

," reads the letter to which this newspaper has had access.

The school also appreciates "the support received by the center's management team and its guidance department. Written communications have been limited until the closure of the internal investigation into the focus of the complaint, so as not to violate the right to privacy. of the minors,

the presumption of innocence of the professor involved

and the investigation itself. I thank you for your understanding."

Finally, they understand "that this situation may cause concern in our Educational Community" and add that the "tutors, stage coordinators, the guidance department and the school's management team are at your entire disposal to answer any questions directly. "This way we can answer all your questions, avoiding

the spread of false information that could harm our students,

and the work of the authorities."