Hand Kiss Can Be Crime in Spain
Sunday, 2026/04/05179 words3 minutes304 reads
Spain's Supreme Court has made a significant ruling about sexual consent. In 2023, a man approached a woman at a Madrid bus stop and kissed her hand without permission. He also gestured that she should follow him and offered to pay her.
The man was found guilty of sexual assault and fined €1,620. He appealed the decision, arguing that he had not used violence or intimidation. His lawyers claimed the incident happened in a public place during daylight, near a police station. They said it should only be considered harassment, not assault.
However, the Supreme Court disagreed. The judges stated that the encounter had "a clear sexual component" and exceeded mere harassment. They emphasized that a woman should not have to tolerate a man taking and kissing her hand without consent.
Two judges disagreed with the ruling. They argued that kissing someone's hand is simply an old-fashioned greeting in their culture, similar to shaking hands or kissing someone's cheek. This case reflects Spain's ongoing debate about sexual consent, especially after the 2022 "Only yes means yes" law was passed.
