Spanish women charged with religious offence after they carried a plastic vagina though a city to protest homophobia

Three feminist protesters have found themselves in trouble with the law after they marched through the Spanish city of Seville carrying a huge plastic vagina during a workers' demonstration in May 2014 to protest against homophobia. They could be hit with jail time after the protest was deemed a religious hate crime.

The women are accused of offending 'religious sentiments'. Acts which offend ‘the sentiments of members of a religious group’ carry a fine - meaning the women could be jailed for eight to 12 months.

During the procession, they carried rosary beads and wore face veils worn by devout Catholic women during religious celebrations. Hailed as the 'Santísimo Coño Insumiso', or the 'Blessed Rebellious Vagina', they reportedly were protesting against homophobia. This week the Spanish high court overturned a previous ruling that the trio had legitimately used freedom of expression - and branded the march ‘an offence against the Virgin Mary’. The women were protesting during a march organised by the Spanish union the General Workers' Confederation (CGT).