Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, faces a criminal trial after investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado opened oral proceedings in June 2026 over alleged influence peddling and corruption in business, along with embezzlement and misappropriation. Gómez has denied wrongdoing, and Sánchez has maintained that she is innocent. The order moves the case beyond the investigative phase toward Madrid’s Provincial Court, but it is not a finding of guilt: the allegations remain to be tested in court.
Peinado’s decision also concerns Cristina Álvarez, Gómez’s adviser at La Moncloa, and businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés. Gómez and Álvarez face the same four allegations, while Barrabés is accused of influence peddling and corruption in business. The judge imposed precautionary measures on Gómez and Álvarez, including surrendering their passports and a ban on leaving Spain. They must also appear before the court regularly. Barrabés was not subjected to the same restrictions.
The measures are tied to the potential seriousness of the alleged offences and possible prison terms, not to a conviction. Peinado cited the risk that a sentence could exceed two years, making suspension of the sentence unlikely. He rejected the defence argument that Gómez’s police protection as the Prime Minister’s wife would prevent her from fleeing, noting that the protection could end if Sánchez’s term in office ended. The judge also said police officers could, in theory, assist an escape, either on their own initiative or under orders.
Gómez is barred from applying for replacement passports, including diplomatic documents and passports issued by another nationality. The travel ban was communicated to border posts and airports, and she must report to Madrid’s Court No. 41 once in each half of every month. The same conditions apply to Álvarez. The restrictions are precautionary measures pending the proceedings and do not determine the defendants’ guilt.
The order formally opens oral proceedings and sends the case toward Madrid’s Provincial Court, where the trial court and procedural format are to be settled. The next stage had not yet taken place 28 days after Peinado’s order: the case had not been transmitted to the Provincial Court, leaving the trial judge and the question of a jury or professional tribunal unresolved. The Provincial Court’s Section 23 was considering appeals by the defence and the public prosecutor, as described in the case’s procedural account.
The delay illustrates the distinction between a judge’s order opening trial and the subsequent administrative and judicial steps needed to organize it. Until the Provincial Court receives and processes the case, the trial’s composition and timetable remain unsettled. The proceedings have drawn public attention because they involve the Prime Minister’s wife and allegations concerning her professional activities and relationships with public and private entities.
