A young man agreed to a five year prison sentence after admitting to breaking into a home in Alicante where a woman was asleep. The case also involved a sexual assault that occurred during the break in. Prosecutors had initially requested longer terms, but an agreement was reached before the trial started at Alicante Court. The defense team included lawyers Jose Manuel Yepes and Concepcion Fernandez. The suspect has remained in custody since his arrest last year. The defense asked the court to consider deporting him to his home country of Colombia.
The victim attended the hearing and received a compensation of four thousand euros. She appeared in court to express concerns about the investigation process and to describe the lasting impact of the crime. She spoke about ongoing distress and anxiety about safety in her own home, and questioned the level of legal support available during the early stage of the investigation.
Attack
The events took place in Alicante at around eight in the morning on July 23, 2022. The defendant, who had been drinking alcohol and using cocaine, forced entry by breaking a window into a single family house with the intent to steal. Inside, the intruder seized valuables including rings, about three hundred euros, and silver coins, among other items. He encountered the sleeping woman and, as she woke, spoke to her in a threatening tone. He warned that anyone who resisted would be harmed, creating a tense and frightening scene inside the home with others present.
The intruder pressed for information about the location of valuables. When the victim indicated that the items were modest, he reacted with a predatory implication that the loot would still be his. Fear overwhelmed her and she complied with commands she would normally resist, including requests to undress. After she sat on the bed, the defendant touched her and carried out a sexual assault, repeatedly violating her boundaries by inserting fingers into her intimate area.
The victim immediately stated that she did not consent. The assailant then attempted to touch her breasts again before leaving the room. He ordered the people on the ground floor to leave the house, though there was no one else present. He left the residence and was later detained by the National Police on the same day.