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Threats · coercion · stalking

Threats and coercion: criminal defence

Criminal defence throughout Spain · offices in Madrid and Alicante

Conditional threats, coercion, harassment and stalking, increasingly channelled through messaging apps and social media: expert preservation of the evidence and technical defence.

In brief. Not every intimidating phrase is an offence. Case law requires seriousness, persistence and credibility of the harm announced. Today most of these cases rest on digital messages whose forensic authentication and full context decide the outcome.

Why it is different

72h
Messages are the central evidence: their early preservation decides the case.
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Offices in Madrid and Alicante; assistance anywhere in Spain.
LIWARD
Our own methodology of legal intelligence and forensic analysis.

Threats do not admit superficial assessments

Proceedings for threats and coercion share a single requirement: to place every expression in its precise technical context. Not every intimidating phrase amounts to an offence; case law demands seriousness, persistence and credibility of the harm announced, weighing the context, the prior relationship between the parties and the reaction of the alleged victim.

Today most of these cases rest on messaging apps and social media: screenshots that must be authenticated by expert examination, and full conversations that frequently qualify, or refute, the initial account. That contextual and forensic analysis is what separates a conviction from a dismissal. For that reason we combine criminal defence with our own digital forensic examination in every matter.

Types of offence

The framework of Articles 169 to 172 ter of the Criminal Code

Art. 169.1º CP

Conditional threats

Threatening harm amounting to an offence while demanding a sum of money or a condition; this heading includes extortion and blackmail. Penalty: one to five years where the condition is achieved.
Art. 169.2º CP

Unconditional threats

A serious threat with no demand attached: the common offence in personal and neighbour disputes. Penalty: six months to two years of imprisonment.
Art. 171 CP

Threats of non-criminal harm

Conditional threats of harm that does not itself amount to an offence, including the disclosure of secrets (blackmail). Penalty: three months to one year, or a fine.
Art. 172 CP

Coercion

Preventing another by force from doing what the law does not prohibit, or compelling another to do what they do not wish: the most versatile offence in the Criminal Code. Penalty: six months to three years, or a fine.
Art. 172 ter CP

Harassment · stalking

Surveillance, pursuit, repeated contact or the improper use of personal data that seriously alters the victim’s daily life. Penalty: three months to two years, or a fine.
Art. 171.7 / 172.3 CP

Minor offences

Threats and coercion of a minor character: tried as a minor offence, without imprisonment but leaving a criminal record. Penalty: a fine of one to three months.
Art. 173.1 CP

Degrading treatment

A serious impairment of moral integrity: workplace harassment (mobbing), property harassment and serious hostile campaigns. Penalty: six months to two years of imprisonment.
Art. 243 CP

Extortion

Using violence or intimidation to compel a harmful act of financial disposal: the border with robbery and with conditional threats. Penalty: one to five years of imprisonment.
Art. 468 CP

Breach of measures

Failure to comply with restraining orders or no-contact prohibitions imposed in these proceedings. Penalty: six months to one year where an order is in force.
Penalties at a glance

Penalty framework by offence

OffenceArticlePenalty frameworkKey aggravating factor
Conditional threats (criminal harm)169.1º1 – 5 yearsCondition achieved · in writing
Unconditional threats169.2º6 months – 2 yearsSeriousness of the harm announced
Blackmail171.22 – 4 yearsDisclosure of a prosecutable offence
Coercion1726 months – 3 yearsHousing: upper half of the range
Harassment (stalking)172 ter3 months – 2 yearsVulnerable victim or partner
Degrading treatment173.16 months – 2 yearsWorkplace or property harassment
Extortion2431 – 5 yearsAct of financial disposal achieved
Legal person31 bisFine · suspension · dissolutionAbsence of a compliance programme

Penalty ranges are indicative and set out the ordinary framework; the sentence actually imposed depends on the degree of completion, aggravating and mitigating circumstances and the specific facts of each case.

Our differentiator

Where these offences meet forensic analysis

The evidence in threats and coercion is, today, essentially digital: WhatsApp, social media, e-mails and audio. Its expert authentication and its full context decide the case. For that reason we apply LIWARD, Legal Intelligence Warfare for Defense, our own methodology, which integrates legal intelligence, case-law analytics, financial and accounting analysis and e-forensics into a single procedural strategy. That is what distinguishes us from conventional criminal defence.

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Legal intelligence

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Financial and accounting analysis

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Digital evidence · e-forensic

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Procedural strategy

How we work

From the first contact to the judgment

Phase 01

Arrest and investigation

Phase 02

Forensic analysis

Phase 03

Strategy and evidence

Phase 04

Trial and appeals

Who we represent

Each profile demands a distinct defence

C

Companies

Companies suffering extortion, threats against directors or harassment campaigns: a coordinated criminal-law response.

D

Directors and managers

Directors and professionals threatened or reported in corporate, employment or commercial disputes.

I

Persons under investigation

Those investigated over messages or arguments: full contextualisation of the conversation and defence against instrumental complaints.

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Victims · private prosecution

Victims of threats, harassment or extortion: preservation of evidence, protection measures and private prosecution.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

I am being threatened over WhatsApp. What should I do so that it serves as evidence?
Do not delete anything and preserve the device: an isolated screenshot carries little weight. We carry out a certified extraction of the full conversation, with its metadata, and support the complaint with an expert report that safeguards authenticity against any challenge.
When is a threat an offence and when is it merely an argument?
Case law requires seriousness, credibility and substance in the harm announced, weighing the context and the relationship between the parties. Words uttered in the heat of the moment, with no genuine capacity to intimidate, are not a serious offence, and often not even a minor one.
I am being reported for coercion in a neighbour or commercial dispute. What is the risk?
Coercion under Article 172 punishes preventing or compelling another by violence or intimidation, but many complaints conceal civil disputes (building works, utilities, debts). The defence lies in returning the matter to its proper forum and securing an early dismissal.
What is the offence of stalking and when does it apply?
Article 172 ter punishes repeated harassment that seriously alters daily life: surveillance, persistent calls, the use of personal data to make contact. It requires a pattern of conduct, not isolated episodes; that pattern, or its absence, is established through digital evidence.
Do you handle cases outside Alicante?
Yes. We operate from Madrid and Alicante and provide assistance anywhere in Spain, including urgent assistance to detainees and proceedings with an international dimension.
What is the LIWARD methodology?
It is our own methodology, Legal Intelligence Warfare for Defense, which integrates legal intelligence, case-law analytics, financial and accounting analysis and e-forensics into a single procedural strategy, so that the defence rests on verified evidence rather than on the initial account.

Speak to a criminal lawyer

In a fast-track case, the days you have are the case.

Criminal defence in English before the courts of Alicante and the rest of Spain, for residents and for visitors who have flown home.

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Société de Conseil Juridique et Expert es un despacho de abogados con sedes en Madrid, Alicante, Londres y París, especializado en defensa y acusación penal, delitos económicos y corporativos y derecho tecnológico. Trabajamos con orientación estratégica en procedimientos penales complejos, propiedad intelectual y análisis forense avanzado, y prestamos consultoría jurídica, compliance y escudos de protección a particulares y empresas. Atendemos desde Alicante y Madrid, con consulta online en toda España y asistencia al detenido 24 horas. Resuelva sus dudas en las preguntas frecuentes o solicite una primera consulta.

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