Juana Rivas: Spanish Ministers to offer partial pardon to mother who abducted her children

Spanish Ministers are set to offer partial pardon to a mother who abducted her children.

Juana Rivas was initially sentenced to five years imprisonment and loss of parental custody for six years.

SPAIN’S Council of Ministers is planning to approve a partial pardon of Juana Rivas, the mother who was sentenced in 2018 for the abduction of her two minor children, meaning that her reduced sentence – from a Supreme Court ruling in April – of two years and six months in prison would be halved to one year and three months.

According to EL PAÍS, the mother from Granada would also see her loss of parental custody dissolved in favour of 180 days of community service.

Juana Rivas was charged with two offences of child abduction, one for each child, after refusing to return to Italy, where the three were living with Francesco Arcuri, the children’s father, and disappearing with them for a month, between July and August 2017.

Spain’s Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, was in favour of the partial pardon, stating on Friday, November 12, that the government was taking “decisive steps” to ensure that women, and mothers like Juana Rivas, “are not persecuted or criminalised for protecting their children”.

“There are already public policies and a greater social awareness about all forms of gender violence because it involves using children to attack women where it hurts most, which is with their sons and daughters,” Montero said.

Rivas was ordered to pay 12,000 euros in compensation to the children’s father.

After the news was announced, one self-described ‘Feminist Activist” on Twitter wrote: “Thanks to millions of feminists who did not leave [this case] alone. For her and her children.

“We continue to advance towards feminist justice to protect everyone and repair so much damage.

“Congratulations to the brave.”

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