Catalan police official fired over La Manada gang-rape case tweet

Communications director Patrícia Plaja criticized the Spanish judiciary

Patrícia Plaja (left) after receiving an award at Ramon Llull university in Barcelona (by Facultat de Comunicació Blanquerna)
Patrícia Plaja (left) after receiving an award at Ramon Llull university in Barcelona (by Facultat de Comunicació Blanquerna) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

April 29, 2018 12:10 PM

Patrícia Plaja, the communications director of Catalonia's own police body, the Mossos d'Esquadra, has been fired for criticizing the Spanish judiciary in a tweet about the controversial judicial sentence of Pamplona's 'La Manada' case, in which five men were cleared of raping an 18-year-old.

The Mossos prefecture lost faith in Plaja dues to this comment, according to sources from the Catalan police. As Catalonia still has no government six months after the suspension of its self-rule, the Spanish executive remains in control of the Catalan administration—including the Mossos d'Esquadra.