Journalist Isa Balado was reporting from Madrid about a situation where shopkeepers had apprehended a thief attempting to rob their store. During a live studio broadcast, a man approached her from behind and, inappropriately touching her, asked about the program she was working on.
"Isa, I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you just experience unwanted contact?" a colleague in the studio inquired.
"Yes," Balado responded, turning to address the man, "Regardless of your curiosity about our channel, was it necessary to grab me?"
Initially, the 25-year-old Romanian citizen laughed off the allegations of misconduct but later apologized, maintaining eye contact with the journalist as she requested to be left alone to carry out her work.
The Madrid police, alerted promptly by the TV channel's staff, arrested the man on suspicion of committing a sexual offense. He was taken to the Family and Women's Affairs Department of the Madrid Police Department.
Now, law enforcement will review video footage of the incident (a valuable asset for the investigation) and gather statements from both the man and Balado herself.
During the live broadcast, the program's host openly criticized the man's behavior, describing him as "an idiot." He also instructed the cameraman to focus the camera on the man for better identification.
Despite the attack, the man made no effort to conceal himself and continued to stand near the journalist, interfering with her work. As she left the frame, he approached her once more and began touching her hair.
According to Euronews, the TV channel issued an official statement condemning all forms of harassment and aggression and expressed solidarity with the journalist following the distressing situation she endured.
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