La impunidad en las Fuerzas Armadas. Una breve aproximación retrospectiva de los tres últimos lustros (2005-2020)

The aim of this article is to examine the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of impunity as a (generalized) rule of operation within the Spanish Armed Forces over the last three lustrums. The authors' working hypothesis is outlined in the following terms: the Spanish Army continues to constitute one of the basic pillars of the "Spanish Impunity Model", whose historical synergies stem directly from the Franco regime. In order to confirm this hypothesis, firstly, the numerous cases of harassment and sexual violence against professional female soldiers and the impunity achieved by those who committed such crimes in the courts and other administrative bodies are presented as clear evidence. Secondly, this vision is interconnected and complemented with the denunciations, investigations and public scandals of corruption in its most diverse typology within the Armed Forces and the palpable criminal and professional limits offered by the military justice system in this regard. The text is based on the official statistics available, as well as presenting a broad compilation of secondary sources and, finally, providing ex novo data resulting from an unpublished research project.