Bertsozale Elkartea, the Orereta Feminist Movement and the Oiartzun Feminist Assembly have denounced the attacks by a teacher at the Xenpelar Bertso Eskola in Orereta

A Xenpelar Bertso-Eskolaverse teacher has used his position and referentiality to systematically develop and attack power relations. This has been denounced by the Bertsozale Association, the Orereta Feminist Movement and the Oiartzun Feminist Assembly in a joint statement on Thursday.

As they have explained, this is not a new problem, nor is it an isolated case. It comes from before, since in 2018 a complaint of male violence was filed against this teacher in Bertsozale Elkartea and then a series of measures were agreed with the aggressor, which involved the disappearance of the formal and informal framework of bertsolarism, always with the intention of being a safe space for the assaulted bertsolarism and not to repeat such events.

However, the matter was not resolved and when it became known that the aggressor was violating the agreed measures , in 2024, Bertsozale Elkartea launched the Internal Protocol for the Management of Cases of Male Violence . 

The authors of the note stress that the teacher then acknowledged the facts and signed a commitment document to meet the stated objectives, while the bertso-eskola management pledged to ensure compliance with those commitments.

This second attempt to change the attitude of the aggressor was not enough, however, and the attacks have continued in informal spaces related to the Xenpelar verse school and beyond the verse world. Earlier this year, allegations of sexual assault and psychological harassment have been lodged with the aggressor within the verse school. Since the first complaint in 2018, it has been reported that the aggressor has not fulfilled his commitments to the Bertsozale Association and has repeatedly repeated harassment and manipulation of young girls.

They point out that, thanks to self-defense and feminist gridlock, it has been discovered that the aggressor maintained his own dynamics. From his position of power in bertsolarism and in the people, he develops a power relationship, manipulates and oppresses; attacks.

The Oiartzun and Orereta Feminist Movements have now learned of all this in May, when the assailants have turned to them.

According to the authors of the note, it is "impossible" for such behaviour to occur "if it has no protection around it" and in their own words " the accomplices have also madeit possible for the attacker to maintain such attitudes. "But they have made it clear that they are aware that the whole school of verses has not been complicit, nor all the spaces used by the school of verses.

The Feminist Movement has highlighted what the assailants have asked of it to publicly denounce the attacks and power dynamics perpetuated over the years by this professor of verse, as well as the complicity, impunity and patriarchal alliances that could protect him.

They have therefore called for a mobilisation on Saturday. At 12:30 p.m. they will hold a rally in the Plaza de los Fueros de Orereta (Xenpelar) to protest the case.