In a quiet living room, a man sat alone when a blue reflection emanated from one of the speakers. Curiosity pulled him to the device. He opened the lid and saw the phone of the person he had separated from after his attempt at marriage. What followed was a troubling discovery that hinted at surveillance and violation. He accused the ex-wife of spying and soon faced legal consequences for his actions.
The 9th High Criminal Court of Zaragoza sentenced the man to two and a half years of prison for invading privacy by uncovering and revealing secrets. He received an additional 15 days of community work for a minor harassment offense and 31 days of community service for minor injury or abuse within the scope of gender-based violence protections.
The events trace back to 2019 when the couple’s relationship deteriorated. During that period, the accused used demeaning language toward his partner, including insults and threats that humiliated her and emphasized power and control.
Feeling overwhelmed by the conflict over custody, visitation, and child support for their shared child, the couple entered into a family relations agreement. The sentence linked the family home to the mother and child, underscoring how property divisions were tied to safeguarding the child’s welfare.
Before leaving their communal residence with the aim of invading the woman’s privacy and gathering information about her actions, the man had quietly installed a device in one of the family room speakers. A mobile phone with a recording application captured the room’s images and sounds, and the man kept the device powered through a wired charging setup connected to the home Wi-Fi.
When the man was confronted, the ex-wife sent a message asking for the return of the phone she believed he had been spying on. He returned home to retrieve the device along with the speakers, insisting they be returned immediately.
The case drew attention to patterns of sexist violence, where control acts as a central characteristic. A lawyer contributed to the proceedings, and authorities from the security and technological crimes unit in Aragon examined the terminal to confirm the presence of videos showing the woman in the affected setting.
Witness testimony on the humiliation suffered by the woman played a crucial role, helping establish a legal record that led to the conviction in Zaragoza. The proceedings demonstrated how surveillance, intimidation, and property misuse intersect with personal safety and gender-based violence protections.