Last Thursday, October 24, the already former spokesperson and former deputy of Sumar, Íñigo Errejón, resigned from his positions and he moved away from the world of politics. He did so through a statement published on his
This resignation came accompanied by several women who have accused him of psychological abuse and harassment. The most notable complaint was that of actress Elisa Mouliaá, who claimed to have been sexually harassed by Errejón several years ago.
However, more accusations and complaints have been collected anonymously from social networks by other girls who tell similar stories. One of the first stories to come to light, published by journalist Cristina Fallarás on behalf of the girls who do not want to make their identity known, mentioned that she suffered “inappropriate treatment (which I believe can be classified as sexual harassment)”. Although the former politician is not explicitly named, the obvious connection with his resignation and the numerous accusations point to it being him.
In this anonymous message, the complainant talks about a “politician who lives in Madrid. “A very well-known politician.” Among other practices, He is accused of gaslighting.rudeness and punishing women “with silence and indifference” when they did not do what he wanted. Focusing on the Anglo-Saxon term, we will tell you what exactly it means and some examples of it within sexist violence.
What is the ‘gaslighting’ of which Íñigo Errejón is accused?
The term ‘gaslighting’ in Spanish translates as ‘making gas light’ according to the Fundéu de la RAE (Royal Spanish Academy). The definition given by the Dictionary of the Spanish Language is the following: «Trying that (someone) doubt your reason or judgment through prolonged discrediting work of their perceptions and memories.
‘Gaslighting’ is, therefore, a form of psychological manipulation that can occur in different areas, but is usually common in cases of gender violence. In this context, ‘gaslighting’ usually implies that a man manipulate a woman so that she thinks she is crazy and that, if he treats her badly, the woman is the one who ends up feeling guilty or even deserving of that treatment.
In the case of the accusations against Errejón, one of the anonymous complainants explains it in parentheses by saying: “it is always you who does not understand the deputy”, implying that he treated them with behavior that meets the definition of ‘gaslighting’.
Others examples They can happen because the harasser or abuser denies obvious reality, exaggerates certain facts, tells lies, downplays the victim’s concerns, diverts attention to topics that interest him or her more, or compares things by distorting reality.
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