Spanish police chief quits amid rape accusation

An investigation has been opened into Jose Angel Gonzalez after a subordinate accused him of assault at his official residence

Spain’s national police chief has resigned after being accused of raping a subordinate at an official residence, El Pais has reported.

Jose Angel Gonzalez, the force’s top operational commander and second most senior officer, resigned on Tuesday after a Madrid judge accepted a criminal complaint against him and opened a formal investigation.

Spanish media reported that a junior female colleague had filed the complaint in January, alleging that Gonzalez raped her in April 2025.

According to the complaint, the alleged victim was on duty when she was ordered to drive an unmarked official vehicle to a restaurant where Gonzalez was dining with another senior officer. She was then reportedly instructed to take him to his official residence, a property owned by the Spanish Interior Ministry.

The complaint alleges Gonzalez sexually assaulted the officer inside the residence, exploiting his position of authority, the outlet said. The filing claims the officer suffered injuries before managing to break free and flee.

Read more

According to the document, the officer was later pressured not to report the incident – both directly by Gonzalez and indirectly by other senior police officials.

A judge has now summoned him as part of the investigation into the incident.

The case prompted Gonzalez’s resignation, with Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska telling lawmakers that the senior officer had stepped down amid the scrutiny, describing the accusation as “so serious that, once known, his resignation was demanded.”

The allegations mark the latest in a string of sexual harassment scandals to rock Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ruling Socialist party. Separate corruption probes have also endangered the stability of his minority coalition government.

The Socialist party suffered a major defeat in the Aragon regional election earlier this month, while right-wing parties made substantial gains, underscoring the government’s weakening support across the country.

The February 9 vote was the first of three regional elections scheduled in areas governed by the People’s Party (PP), to be followed by Castilla y Leon in March and Andalusia in June, with the opposition portraying the contests as a referendum on the prime minister.