More than 130 women secretly filmed while undressing at massage centre in Spain

Hidden recordings in a massage parlour and more than 130 unsuspecting victims: women in Rivas, Madrid, have been left shaken after officials discovered that a local massage parlour had been secretly filming clients while they undressed.

Shocking discovery leads to arrest of parlour owner

The owner of the massage parlour, a 60-year-old Spanish man, was arrested on Friday, July 3 by the Guardia Civil in the municipality of Rivas Vaciamadrid for secretly recording clients, all women, while they undressed to receive their massages. The number of victims currently stands at 131 women, all of whom have been informed of the existence of the recordings.

The crime was discovered when one of the clients of the massage parlour noticed a video camera hidden in one of the massage rooms. After she reported the camera, officials launched an investigation, which led to the owner’s arrest. The Spanish man is currently in jail, and has been charged with a crime against privacy as well as, in some victims’ cases, a crime of sexual assault.

The Guardia Civil is working to locate more victims of the crime, and have already seized computer equipment from installed video cameras from the scene. These yielded a shocking total of more than 500 recordings, all of which will be used as evidence in the legal proceedings.

Local government steps in with legal and emotional support

For its part, the Madrid City Council has issued a statement of “support and accompaniment” for the victims, and is considering the possibility of acting as a private prosecutor against the detainee, which would help to impose the maximum penalties on the owner of the massage parlour.

The City Council has also emphasised that the victims can take advantage of municipal resources for support, guidance, and specialised care. It is important to know that local town and city halls across Spain have dedicated departments for social services, women’s equality, and consumer rights, which offer free legal guidance, psychological support, and administrative help to any resident, regardless of nationality.

Crimes against privacy: Knowing your fundamental rights in Spain as an expat

In Spain, privacy is a fundamental right, protected under the Penal Code. Filming someone without consent is classified as a delito contra la intimidad, or crime against privacy. Business owners caught doing this face severe criminal charges, potentially combined with sexual assault charges as in the case of the Rivas scandal.

You do not need to be a Spanish citizen to be protected by these laws, nor to receive state legal support; it applies equally to both residents and tourists.

If something seems suspicious, sometimes all that is needed is a single complaint report to launch an investigation. For visitors or newcomers who do not speak fluent Spanish and have a difficult time communicating, officials will also provide an official translator while filing a complaint. Non-Spanish speakers can also use the multi-language telephone reporting services.

What expats should look out for before getting a massage or physical therapy

Finally, to avoid going into suspicious places and unlicensed business establishments, there are two things expatriates can look out for to verify legitimacy:

1. Complaint forms notice: Every legal business in Spain is required by law to have official complaint forms available to customers, displayed with a visible poster.
2. Professional registration: For services like physiotherapy, osteopathy, or sports massages, practitioners or establishments should be registered with an official regional college, which expatriates can look up and verify their credentials.