A man from Murcia, aged 84, has been sentenced to twelve years in prison for ongoing sexual abuse of his granddaughter, with crimes spanning from when she was six years old up to fourteen. The verdict notes that the victim disclosed the abuse to her school and authorities, initiating a formal investigation.
The abuse occurred both at the grandfather’s home and at the home of the victim’s aunt. The court’s factual account describes how the grandfather invited the girl to lie on a bed beside him and began touching her. The actions escalated beyond what would be considered appropriate affection, subjecting the child to repeated sexual harassment and coercive acts. The case took a lasting toll on the victim, who has continued to receive psychological and psychiatric care into early adulthood.
When the girl reached fourteen, she reported the incident to a teacher. The school informed her parents, and contact between the child and her grandfather was terminated except for very infrequent visits when her grandmother’s health required his presence. After that point, the family prioritized preserving the victim’s safety and limiting exposure to the abuser.
From then on, there were no further complaints immediately following the discovery. During a subsequent school discussion on the sexual abuse of minors, the young woman described feeling overwhelmed and distressed by the revelation. Her father was guided to file a timely complaint after discussions with school and judicial authorities, which helped move the case toward legal action.
40 thousand euro compensation
The Murcia County Court found the offender guilty of continuing sexual abuse involving vaginal contact with a minor under sixteen and sentenced him to twelve years in prison. The court also ordered the perpetrator to pay 40,000 euros in damages to the victim and established a no-contact provision forbidding him from approaching within 500 meters of the victim for a period of ten years. The order included compensation for moral damages arising from the abuse. The defense appealed the sentence at the Murcia High Court of Justice, challenging the victim’s testimony as possibly exaggerated or retaliatory in nature.
In its ruling, the High Court of Justice rejected the objection, emphasizing the credibility of the victim’s testimony as clear, coherent, and consistent throughout the oral proceedings. The document notes that the plenary session recognized the testimony as highly convincing due to its internal logic, consistency, and lack of any collusion with relatives on the victim’s side. The court described the testimony as compelling evidence supporting the urgency of judicial action and the defendant’s guilt, corroborated by the overall proceedings and the record of events.
Authorities maintained that the victim’s account remained stable under cross-examination and stood up to scrutiny, reinforcing the decision to uphold the sentence. The case illustrates the legal system’s commitment to protecting minors and pursuing appropriate penalties for those who abuse vulnerable family members.