Balado was reporting on a flight in Madrid for the Cuatro channel when a man groped her on camera.

Spanish police have arrested a man for sexually assaulting a journalist while she was on air.

Isa Balado was reporting on a robbery in Madrid on Tuesday when a man approached her from behind and groped her before asking which channel she worked for.

Balado confronted him, explaining that she was working and tried to continue her report, but host Nacho Abad insisted that she show the man’s face on camera.

Police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that a man was arrested Tuesday for sexually assaulting a female journalist.

🚩Detained for sexually pleasing a journalist while he is a television director #Madrid pic.twitter.com/vKkBjNXJve

– National Police (@policia) September 12, 2023

The incident occurred as Spain grapples with sexism after the former president of the Spanish football federation kissed a national team player on the lips after the World Cup final women last month.

Mediaset Espana, owner of Cuatro, said it “categorically rejects any form of harassment or aggression.”

“We fully support Isa Balado, journalist of “En boca de todos” [On Everyone’s Lips]after the absolutely intolerable situation she is experiencing today.

The incident received a lot of attention online, prompting netizens and government officials to condemn it.

An example of the kind of shameful and casual sexism that still exists in Spain.

A man approaches a television journalist who is reporting live, touches her buttocks then she calls him out, live on air.

The man was arrested. Sexual assault live on TV. What an idiot. https://t.co/TRZVsDGRcP

— Andrew Connell (@andrewiconnell) September 12, 2023

Machismo is the one that makes magazines want to suffer sexual assaults like this and that the attackers are without any type of remorse in front of the camera. I cannot be with impunity.

The professional @IsaBalado Jamás will tender the culpa. #SeAcabó
pic.twitter.com/0RM5jvGyyC

– Yolanda Diaz (@Yolanda_Diaz_) September 12, 2023

Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz chimed in, tweeting: “It’s machismo that causes journalists to suffer sexual assaults like this, and the attackers are unrepentant on camera.” »