A major scandal is unfolding in the Basque Country involving summer camps attended by more than five hundred children this year. Public attention is focused on the activities of the Sarrea Euskal Udalekua association, which organized sessions in Bernedo, Goñi, and Abáigar. It is already known that the number of participants continued to grow leading up to the camps, despite the fact that an investigation into the camps began six months before the start of the sessions.
Basque Country police (Ertzaintza) first received alarming reports back in December of last year: the police station was informed that minors were being forced to shower together and were involved in humiliating games. An official report was filed in April, but neither the courts nor other state institutions took steps to halt the camps. Even after new details emerged in September, the situation remained unchanged.
The court in Vitoria is currently investigating possible crimes against the freedom and dignity of children. Three minors have already been summoned to give testimony. Parents and the public are outraged that neither the police, nor the courts, nor the ombudsman intervened in time. A provincial deputy from Álava publicly admitted that none of those responsible took the necessary measures to protect the children.
The investigation revealed that actions now classified as violations of minors’ sexual freedom took place at camps in Abaigarter in 2021 and 2022, as well as in Bernedo in 2023-2025. Over 500 children attended these camps during the two summer months, and letters from victims and their families contain disturbing details. For example, girls were made to shower naked together with teenage boys, while counselors and staff themselves could be in the camp semi-nude, even in the village area.
Local residents confirm that counselors sometimes worked in the kitchen without clothing, wearing only aprons, and during hot weather, female staff appeared topless not only in the camp but also in public areas. Despite this, the Basque Country prosecutor’s office was not informed about the investigation, and the ombudsman declined to intervene, citing the fact that the camp is run by a private organization.
The Sarrea Euskal Udalekua association, which organizes the camps, insists that shared showers help combat sexualization, and the organization’s leadership includes a poet and activist who advocates for non-binary identity and alternative education. Amid the scandal, nearly 200 parents expressed support for the camp, stating that even shower facilities can serve as a ‘political space’ for fostering diversity.
