Sectarian and Abuse of Weakness Prevention Network

The Red de Prevención del Sectarismo y del Abuso de Debilidad — widely known as RedUNE — is a Spanish non-governmental entity dedicated to helping people who have been psychologically manipulated by coercive groups, commonly called sects, and to exposing and denouncing the practices of such groups. According to its own description, it is an entity with no political, philosophical or religious affiliation, and many of its members have spent decades fighting for the dignity of people whose freedom has been captured by groups it prefers to call "coercive groups" (grupos coercitivos). Its scope covers fundamentalist collectives in philosophical, religious and, in some cases, political spheres. RedUNE also addresses what it describes as increasingly subtle forms of mind control and psychological manipulation in Spanish society. It warns about "risk groups" operating in psychology, medicine and health generally without proper accreditation, and about companies that, taking advantage of economic crisis, promote "financial freedom" while imposing working procedures without rights or private life. It further highlights the abuse of weakness suffered by children, the elderly and mentally vulnerable people at the hands of groups that introduce coercive procedures through philosophy, spirituality or New Age therapies. A central advocacy goal of RedUNE is that the Spanish Penal Code should contemplate the crime of abuse of weakness, defined as the fraudulent abuse of a state of ignorance or weakness. The organization also takes part in court proceedings with the aim of building jurisprudence in this field, and it insists on the need to specifically regulate areas such as complementary or alternative medicine to prevent intrusion and protect public health and rights. Since 2015 RedUNE has provided support services to people affected by coercive groups or sectarian drifts in San Sebastián. It states that victims of these movements are "totally abandoned and their families lost," and that institutions sometimes shed their duties of protection and support for these affected groups, which is why it fights for these rights. The network is directed by Juantxo Domínguez. Its website publishes news and campaigns on topics such as addiction treatment centres, ex-Jehovah's Witness mutual-aid groups, university postgraduate training on psychological abuse and sects, and calls for a public observatory on destructive sects.

The Red de Prevención del Sectarismo y del Abuso de Debilidad, commonly shortened to RedUNE, emerged as a Spanish non-governmental initiative bringing together people with decades of experience in defending the dignity of individuals whose freedom has been captured by coercive groups. Its members describe themselves as having long fought against groups they now prefer to call "coercive groups" rather than simply sects, a terminology that reflects a broader view encompassing fundamentalist collectives in philosophical, religious and, in some cases, political spheres. Since 2015 the network has provided support services in San Sebastián to people affected by coercive groups or sectarian drifts. According to its own account, it felt obliged to expand its work because victims of these movements are "totally abandoned and their families lost," and because institutions sometimes shed their duties of protection and support for these affected groups. This perception of institutional abandonment became a recurring theme in RedUNE's public communication and advocacy. Over time RedUNE broadened its focus beyond classic religious sects. It began warning about new and subtler forms of mind control and psychological manipulation in Spanish society, including "risk groups" operating in psychology, medicine and health without proper accreditation, and companies that promote "financial freedom" while imposing working conditions without rights or private life. It also drew attention to the abuse of weakness suffered by children, the elderly and mentally vulnerable people through philosophy, spirituality or New Age therapies. A central legal objective of RedUNE has been the recognition in the Spanish Penal Code of the crime of abuse of weakness, understood as the fraudulent abuse of a state of ignorance or weakness. The organization participates in court proceedings with the aim of creating jurisprudence, arguing that although some legal norms exist, jurists often do not know how to apply them because cases and contexts vary widely. It also calls for specific regulation of complementary or alternative medicine to prevent intrusion and protect health and rights. RedUNE is directed by Juantxo Domínguez. Its website functions as a news and campaign hub, covering topics such as coercive behaviours in private addiction treatment centres, mutual-aid groups for former Jehovah's Witnesses, a pioneering postgraduate qualification on psychological abuse and sects at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, and demands for a public Observatory on Destructive Sects. In January 2026 several victim associations, including RedUNE, publicly pointed to Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the National Police for what they described as non-compliance with the commitment to create that observatory. The network thus combines direct victim support, public awareness and legal and policy advocacy within a single non-partisan, non-denominational platform.

• 2015

  RedUNE begins providing support services to people affected by coercive groups or sectarian drifts in San Sebastián.

• RedUNE publishes content on the growing use of the term 'sectarian drift' among experts and victim-support associations.

• Victim associations, including RedUNE, denounce the failure to create an Observatory on Destructive Sects.

• A mutual-aid group for former Jehovah's Witnesses is highlighted, offering emotional, psychological and practical support.

• Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca launches a pioneering Expert Diploma in Psychological Abuse and Sects.

• The Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah's Witnesses wins a key ruling at the Audiencia Provincial de Madrid reinforcing freedom of expression.

• EL PAÍS reports on Sara and Gabriel López, victims of La Chaparra, turning their experience into a warning for others.

Non-governmental, non-partisan and non-denominational network that frames coercive groups as a public-protection and human-rights issue and campaigns for legal recognition of abuse of weakness.

1. 1RED DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SECTARISMO Y DEL ABUSO DE DEBILIDADredune.org.es
2. 2Nosotros :: RED DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SECTARISMO Y DEL ABUSO DE DEBILIDADredune.org.es
3. 3FORMULARIO SOBRE CENTROS DE ADICCIONES :: RED DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SECTARISMO Y DEL ABUSO DE DEBILIDADredune.org.es
4. 4EL CUENTO QUE ME JODIÓ (sobre estados alterados de consciencia) :: RED DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SECTARISMO Y DEL ABUSO DE DEBILIDADredune.org.es
5. 5Sectarian and Abuse of Weakness Prevention Networkwikidata.org
6. 6Red de Prevención Sectaria y del Abuso de Debilidades.wikipedia.org