- The committee of expert professionals appointed to investigate the events linked to the CREA group has submitted a preliminary report, which has resulted in several precautionary measures.
The committee of expert professionals appointed to investigate the events linked to the CREA group has submitted a preliminary report, which has resulted in several precautionary measures. The committee is composed of three specialists with specific training in gender-based violence and institutional harassment. It was established at the end of August and began its work during the first week of September. Over the course of four months, 15 working sessions were held, and 11 complainants appeared before the experts.
The facts related to the CREA group as reported by the complainants to the experts are extremely serious: they could constitute acts of sexual coercion, psychological coercion, abuse, personal and professional exploitation, as well as degrading and intimidating conduct which could be consistent with the possible existence of a coercive, high-control group.
Given the seriousness of these facts, the committee, unanimously, agreed to prepare a preliminary report setting out the conclusions of this first phase of the investigation. The Rector received the report on 19 December, together with two complementary reports. On the one hand, a forensic psychological assessment of the reliability of the complainants’ testimonies; on the other, a criminal law report assessing the legal relevance of the facts described.
The conclusions of the committee point to the existence of intolerable conduct that is wholly incompatible with the values and principles of the University of Barcelona. On the basis of these conclusions, the UB has agreed to adopt the following actions and measures:
1. To report the facts to the Barcelona Provincial Public Prosecutor’s Office, so that they may be investigated by the ordinary courts. Should the Prosecutor’s Office decide to file charges or a criminal complaint, the University will request to appear as a popular prosecution.
2. Given the seriousness of the facts reported, the initiation of two disciplinary proceedings has been agreed, with the adoption of precautionary measures consisting of suspension from duties , as well as a third proceeding involving the suspension of honorary full professorship status.
3. The committee of experts will continue its investigation: it will hear testimony from the remaining complainants and undertake any actions it deems appropriate to clarify the facts, always respecting any potential criminal investigation. During the current phase of the investigation, five additional individuals have been incorporated, bringing the total number of complainants to 16. The committee will also investigate academic and ethical matters of which it has become aware to date.
4. Psychological support measures are being activated for all members of the UB community who have been affected by this case, both currently and in the past.
5. Precautionary measures will be adopted to prevent academic and professional merits linked to this case from being taken into account in teaching staff selection processes , with the aim of guaranteeing the principles of competition, impartiality, and objectivity in these procedures.
The University of Barcelona was utterly dismayed in July, at the time the complaint was received, and remains so now, given the situation we are facing. The facts reported by the complainants are unjustifiably serious; they are intolerable and repugnant acts that violate the dignity and respect that every person deserves. The UB is aware of, and deeply regrets, the suffering and pain endured by the complainants. No one should ever have to experience such situations, and both institutions and civil society as a whole must be relentless in their prevention, reporting, and eradication. The UB will always stand by all those who have experienced situations of abuse or violence of any kind, with a firm commitment to uncovering the truth and determining responsibility.
The University of Barcelona has an unequivocal commitment to rejecting any violent or harassing behaviour against individual s’and, consequently, to guaranteeing a safe, respectful, and free environment for everyone who is part of the university community. This process has highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen internal mechanisms to address situations of harassment or violence of any kind.
The committee of expert professionals appointed to investigate the events linked to the CREA group has submitted a preliminary report, which has resulted in several precautionary measures.
Chronology
The University of Barcelona has acted without delay, with full guarantees and with utmost firmness to clarify the facts reported in July. A preliminary inquiry was immediately activated, one of the procedures provided for that allows action to be taken while ensuring maximum guarantees for the defence of the rights of the parties involved, confidentiality, and protection for victims. Given the seriousness of the reported conduct, the precautionary suspension of the functions held by Dr Flecha as emeritus full professor was agreed. At the same time, several actions were taken, such as the cancellation of the temporary use of University of Barcelona premises for the holding of the international congress European Conference on Domestic Violence organized by CREA, and the dissociation of the ub.edu domain from CREA’s website and email, thus correcting a wholly anomalous situation that had existed since 2015, when CREA ceased to be part of the University of Barcelona.
Since July, monitoring has been carried out of messages published on social media from profiles linked to the University of Barcelona that may violate the University’s Code of Ethics. In addition, all related to the case that have been received through the Ethics Mailbox, the Anti-Fraud Mailbox, and other institutional channels have been incorporated into the preliminary inquiry process.
The complaint filed in July 2025 is the first formal complaint received by the University of Barcelona following the dismissals by the Prosecutor’s Office in 2004 and 2016. In 2004, reports were made regarding events related to internal operational conflicts within the CREA group, financial management, scholarships, and other matters. The University activated the internal mechanisms in force at the time, opening a preliminary inquiry and appointing an investigator. The final report, which proposed the adoption of various measures (including an audit carried out in 2005), was submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office, which dismissed the case in 2006.
Dr Ramon Flecha stepped down as director of CREA in 2006. In May 2015, CREA ceased to be an internal research structure of the UB and, by agreement of its members, became known as a "research community," integrating researchers from different disciplines, universities, and research centers.
In 2016, the University of Barcelona again became aware of an alleged irregularity within the CREA framework. Although the group was no longer part of the University’s structure, an internal complaint was received concerning psychological abuse and sectarian behaviour. The University referred the matter to the Prosecutor’s Office, which opened proceedings and ultimately concluded that there were no facts constituting a criminal offence, nor objective evidence of a criminal infringement. The case was dismissed.
