A 76-year-old man, seated in the defendant’s chair and gripping a thick cane, faces allegations connected to a sustained pattern of abuse within his family. Born this Thursday, he is the subject of a case unfolding with his two children and former wife present in the courtroom. For years, the family describes a regime of ill treatment, humiliation, and threats directed at the defendant’s own brother, an individual described as having profound intellectual disability. Prosecutors are seeking a four-year prison term, arguing that the conduct constituted a continuous cycle of degradation. Witnesses recount daily acts that left the brother degraded and humiliated. They allege insults, strikes with a stick, and the forced use of a cloth in moments of humiliation. One event involved dragging the brother onto a bed, tying his hands, and repeating the abuse. In another instance, a knife was introduced as a threat while the family member lay restrained. The family members state that these episodes were an everyday reality, making it painful to revisit those memories. The injured party, who faced significant difficulty in speaking publicly, confirmed that these acts occurred. He stated that he preferred not to recall them. The defendant admitted some of the behaviors but asserted that his aim was not to injure his brother and claimed no intention to harm him.
The alleged abuses occurred inside the family home in Alcúdia, over a span from 2009 to 2017. The elder man reportedly had to leave the house after the children reported the situation to the Civil Guard. One of the accused’s sons testified that they grew up in a toxic environment, a condition they had normalized to the point of not reporting it earlier. He explained that all members of the family endured some form of mistreatment at the hands of their father, yet the situation was especially severe for the accused’s brother. He noted that the elder man appeared more restrained when outside the home, but inside those four walls, daily humiliations took place. Actions included calls of being simple, blows with an olive-wood stick, and forced use of diapers to humiliate the brother, even when it was unnecessary. The witness described the uncle as living through immense stress. The son of the defendant described how the atmosphere at home differed from the outside world and emphasized the persistent nature of the abuse.
The testimony also included a daughter recounting additional humiliating incidents directed at the uncle. She described a period when the elder man assaulted him in the bath with a stick, then forced him onto a bed, and tied his hands with a cable tie while explaining his line of thinking. In another moment, she said, the elder man placed a knife near her own child to prevent the family from rising from the couch. The daughter remarked that her uncle became extremely nervous about these events and would panic when the subject was raised. She insisted that the fear was a constant presence in their home life.
The accused’s ex-wife joined the allegations, noting that he was often domineering toward everyone and that the brother was frequently insulted. She said she witnessed the knife incident and admitted there were many details she would prefer not to remember. Her account contributed to a broader picture of control and coercion that characterized the environment.
According to the victim, who spoke from behind a curtain to avoid seeing the defendant due to the brother’s severe disability, the old man mocked him, calling him useless. He described a cold shower and the earlier threat with a stick used to provoke fear. He recalled a moment when a knife was held in proximity to him, an episode that he described as something he would rather forget.
The defendant acknowledged some of the episodes during the trial, but he denied that the actions were intended to degrade or humiliate the brother. He also suggested that the family’s complaint might be driven by motives linked to protecting or retaining property.
In closing arguments, the prosecutor pressed for a four-year prison sentence, asserting that the defendant exposed the victim to dangerous, degrading treatment on multiple occasions and describing the conduct as closely resembling threats with a weapon and a pattern of behavior. The defense, through the defendant’s lawyer, requested acquittal and argued that the accusations were motivated by factors beyond the truth of the events themselves. The case continues to unfold as the court weighs the testimonies and the legal definitions of harmful conduct within a family setting.