Reus is at the centre of a case involving artificial intelligence and digital violence after students at a secondary school allegedly created fake sexual images of female classmates, according to Diari de Tarragona.
The manipulated images circulated among students in April and caused distress among families and the wider school community. The school has not been named, in order to protect its reputation and the privacy of the minors involved.
According to messages seen by the newspaper, the school chose to handle the matter internally to avoid a public scandal. Affected students told their parents, who then shared the information with other families through WhatsApp groups. Diari de Tarragona said it could not confirm whether parents saw the images themselves.
The educational centre declined to answer questions about its internal response. The images were first detected in April, and families later informed the school, which initially opted for an internal resolution, according to sources.
In a separate incident in May, some of the same students allegedly offered money to another classmate to carry out a degrading act against a fellow pupil during a school trip, sources told the newspaper. Despite the seriousness of the incidents, no official complaints have been filed.
The Reus City Council, which has a specific commission for such cases, was not informed. Neither the Guàrdia Urbana nor the Mossos d’Esquadra received reports, and no formal communication was sent to the Catalan government's Department of Education. For wider context on local reporting, see our news tag.
The case echoes the Almendralejo, Badajoz, incident, which became a key precedent in Spain after minors used AI to create fake nude images of classmates. Similar cases have also been reported in Barcelona, Zaragoza and Haro, La Rioja. Experts and education authorities say the spread of apps that can generate sexual deepfakes has made this kind of abuse easier, and they stress the need for stronger digital education and prevention in schools.
