Offenses of refusing a public or private service for discriminatory reasons

Abstract

Within the anti-discrimination criminal law, the violations foreseen in Articles 511 and 512 of the Spanish Penal Code address the arbitrary and discriminatory denials against certain groups historically marginalized or discriminated. When considering this type of offenses the Spanish legislator will act in favor of the criminal protection against discrimination phenomena, punishing behaviors of denying benefits or services to which the community has right, in principle, and where no justification for a different treatment exists.