A man stands accused of throwing hot oil at his ex-partner last summer in Elche. He denied the charges at yesterday’s hearing, claiming that the incident occurred after he violated a current suspension and insisting it happened by accident when he allegedly tripped while arguing and the pan was snatched from her hands because she said she didn’t know how to cook. On the other side, the woman testified in an oral hearing at the Alicante Court that she deliberately poured boiling oil over her ex-partner, resulting in second-degree burns affecting eleven percent of her body. A psychologist who evaluated the victim described the trauma as hellish, worse than cancer, in the victim’s words.
The prosecutor’s office and the special prosecutor’s office sought fines totaling up to 100, nine and a half years in prison for deformity and injury, coercion, compromising punishment, and unjustified harassment. The defense argued for a one-year prison sentence for violating the restraining order, contesting the remaining facts. Prosecutors also asked that the accused pay more than 46,000 euros in compensation to the victim.
The accused, taking the last word, repeated that the act was an accident, but ultimately expressed remorse and an interest in ending the ongoing dispute by accepting accountability.
The incidents occurred in the morning hours of August 29, 2022, at the victim’s home in Elche. The charges describe a restraining order that the victim held against him after he was previously arrested for mistreatment and for breaking a door frame at the residence, an assertion the accused denied during yesterday’s proceedings.
with kicks
The woman testified in court that she kicked the door open and pushed him out of the house, while hurling insults as she entered. The victim explained that she began by asking him to open the door because she planned to call the police, which she eventually did.
The argument then moved inside the home, with the victim confirming that she had started cooking while waiting for her ex to leave. However, when the oil heated, he allegedly grabbed the frying pan in a treacherous move and she urged him not to, pleading for him to stop. Despite her pleas, she says he dumped the boiling oil on one side of her body. He fled the scene and took a shower to soothe the burns, later describing the injuries as severe and terrifying. The victim, who was temporarily unable to work and subsequently received psychological care, shared these details in the hearing.
Neighbors described hearing screams and seeing the attacker, who then attacked a neighbor and bit him on the shoulder. Police later arrested the accused.
According to the defense, the defendant frequently visited the victim’s home because she allegedly invited him, despite a court order to keep distance. The ex-partner acknowledged the incident occurred only once, while her son reported the event to the police.
On the day of the event, the accused claims he was intoxicated and had taken tranquilizers. He says he went to the kitchen to prepare food when the woman appeared and began shouting about cooking abilities. He contends that when he moved to retrieve the pan, the oil spread over her body as she grabbed the handle. He asserts that he did not have oil on him afterward, a point the prosecution disputes as inconsistent with the available evidence.