San fermines #la manada case: An exploratory analysis of social support for victims of sexual violence on Twitter

The publication of the judgment for what became known as the San Fermines Wolf Pack case sparked a wave of demonstrations on the streets and social networks. This study explores social support for sexual assault victims and rape culture myths by analyzing the discussion threads generated around the hashtag #lamanada [#thewolfpack] on Twitter the day that the judgment was published.

Using a qualitative thematic and content analysis adapted to Twitter, the following results were identified. (1) Against apparent empathy and solidarity with the victim, Twitter focuses on the debate on consent given by the victim, questioning the law as a source of security for women, and the call for social mobilization to show dissatisfaction with the San Fermin Wolf Pack ruling. (2) The myths of the culture of rape focus on the direct questioning of the victim’s testimony and the use of lying as a way to justify regret after a consensual sexual relationship.

The results suggested that Twitter is a unique context used to spread myths about sexual violence as well as support victims, questioning the role of Twitter as a platform for “subversion of myths.” Far from subverting them, Twitter’s role is to serve as a “loudspeaker” for the outrage of a population more impacted by a ruling considered unjust than by explicit support for the victim.