The Criminal Court No. 2 in Cartagena convicted a man who assaulted his former partner in a Cartagena bar, while shouting insults about her character. The incident was described in court records as a serious act of aggression carried out in a nightlife setting, with the aggressor directing demeaning language at the victim throughout the confrontation.
The sentence, later confirmed by the Provincial Court, notes that the defendant, aged fifty-six, grabbed her jaw, pushed her, and delivered two forceful blows to her abdomen while restraining her by the neck. The court detailed these actions as part of a broader pattern of controlling and violent behavior toward the complainant.
The events occurred in February this year at a leisure venue in the port city, where, late at night, the victim and the aggressor were left alone and began to argue. The atmosphere escalated quickly from a verbal dispute to physical violence, culminating in the injuries described in the record.
An Educated Insult
According to the proven facts cited in the resolution, the man directed a stream of insults at the victim, saying things like: “Shameless, an educated slut, you have a career in that, you are an educated slut with studies, you go around luring men, don’t shout at me, you bitch, you are retarded, you are a sick whore.” After delivering these derogatory remarks, the aggression turned physical.
After those insults, the violence continued in earnest. The woman reported the incident, and the court found the defendant guilty of abuse within the family setting, sentencing him to seven months in prison.
As part of the judgment, the defendant was also prohibited from approaching the victim within a distance of 300 meters and forbidden from contacting her by any means for a period of two years.
Three Weeks Between Event and Report
The convicted man appealed, arguing that the two had not been a couple and that their sexual relationship was informal, which he claimed placed the conduct outside the realm of gender-based violence laws.
The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, noting that the accused had acknowledged a sexual relationship with the complainant for at least three months prior to the incident. A witness corroborated that the complainant was introduced to the accused by the defendant and that they had been seen together in the bar on several occasions since November. The tribunal stressed that this relationship factored into understanding the context of the dispute and the nature of the alleged violence.
The Court also addressed the defense position that the complaint could be a retaliatory act connected to an earlier incident. It was reported that the accused claimed he had been accompanied by ten to twelve people and that the complainant repeatedly pursued them at the venues they visited. He further alleged that the complainant caused their dismissal from one venue, a claim for which no witnesses had been produced to support it.
Ultimately, the appellate panel reaffirmed that the relationship between the parties and the surrounding circumstances supported the classification of the acts as domestic violence, and the initial verdict and sentence were maintained. The case highlights how evidence of a continuing personal relationship can influence judicial interpretations in matters of violence and illustrates the courts’ careful weighing of testimony and context in such conflicts.
There are resources to support victims of all forms of violence, offering confidential guidance and multilingual assistance. These services provide information and counseling through official channels and are designed to help those affected without requiring disclosure of personal contact details. In general, authorities emphasize timely reporting and access to appropriate support as essential components of the legal process and victim care.