THE mayor of Algeciras has announced his resignation after a local court began investigating him over allegations of sexual assault.
Jose Ignacio Landaluce, of the conservative Partido Popular (PP), said in a social media post that he would step down on October 25.
The announcement follows months of political turmoil after two women affiliated with the PP accused him of separate sexual assaults.
Landaluce, who has led the Andalucian town since 2011, will leave office three days before the local council is due to vote on a motion of censure to oust him.
In a video posted on Facebook, Landaluce denied all the accusations and vowed to fight them in court.
“I reiterate my absolute innocence in the face of these false allegations – utterly false – and I will defend my honour and that of my family through legal channels,” he wrote in the accompanying text.
He added: “I leave with a sense of calm, a clear conscience and the pride of having served Algeciras. Truth and justice will prevail.”
Landaluce first became embroiled in scandal earlier this month, when it emerged that a woman was accusing him of two separate sexual assaults dating back to 2020 and 2021.
The alleged victim, who was also a PP member, filed a complaint with Spain’s Supreme Court on September 2.
A second complaint became public on October 12. It was brought by a member of the PP’s youth wing, who accused Landaluce of sexually assaulting her in his office on July 10 this year.
According to the woman’s account, Landaluce – a former doctor – groped her under the pretext of explaining how to check for suspicious lumps.
The latter case has been taken up by Algeciras’ Court for Violence Against Women, which last week summoned Landaluce to give evidence as a suspect on October 23.
The allegations triggered a political crisis, with 12 of the 15 PP councillors on Algeciras council stepping down from their government roles in protest.
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They later joined forces with far-right party Vox to submit a motion of censure against Landaluce.
The former doctor had faced an earlier scandal in December last year, when the PSOE filed a complaint with the Supreme Court prosecutor alleging, among other offences, sexual harassment and sexual abuse.
Landaluce suspended his PP membership on December 10 following those allegations.
The prosecutor archived the complaint in January 2026, finding insufficient evidence of a crime.
Landaluce has become the second Andalucian mayor to resign in under a week, following Jesus Lupiañez, who led Velez-Malaga council for three years before stepping down last Wednesday.
The PP politician quit amid mounting political pressure over an unpopular rubbish collection tax, which prompted around 1,000 people to take to the streets in protest.
The new waste collection tax, mandated by the central government, would have cost households up to €135 a year.
Meanwhile, Estepona mayor Jose Garcia Urbano is also facing calls to step down amid a criminal case involving allegations of embezzlement and administrative misconduct.
Urbano, also of the PP, is accused of hiring a woman with whom he allegedly had an intimate relationship for a temporary role at Estepona town hall.
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Prosecutors allege the woman received public money without carrying out the work for which she was employed.
The local branch of the left-wing PSOE has called for political action against the mayor, arguing that the case raises serious questions about the use of public money and accountability in local government.
However, sources at Estepona town hall have dismissed the criticism, accusing the socialists of using the case to attack Urbano.
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