The crowd gathered in Elche to hear a case involving a man accused of sexually assaulting a child under 14. The court sentenced him to three years, nine months, and one day in prison, for incidents that occurred near an educational center in September 2020. The events involved a young woman who was nearby with another young woman. The sentence was reached by agreement between the parties, based on the defendant’s confession and the payment of 3,000 euros to compensate non-pecuniary damage.
Two months earlier, the same defendant had been sentenced to two years in prison in a final judgment for sexually abusing another young woman. That sentence was suspended, meaning he did not serve time immediately, as allowed under the law when there is no prior criminal history and under conditions intended to prevent reoffending.
Around seven o’clock in the morning
Proof presented in court confirms that the accused was near an educational center at about seven in the morning and observed two youths getting off a bus. The decision notes that, driven by a predatory impulse, he pursued the young women and overtook one of them. The training center area was busy, and there he attempted to harass her by touching her under her skirt.
Archive image caption: Elche City of Justice — Antonio Amoros
According to the sentence, the young woman resisted, and the two fell to the ground in the bushes. The accused continued to force the girl to touch him inappropriately, under her underwear. She defended herself with kicks and punches, began to scream, and restrained him with her cell phone. Her companion eventually returned and notified emergency services.
“Okay stop now”
When the defendant realized he had been discovered, he reportedly told himself, “Okay, I’ll stop.” Yet, with the same intent, he attempted to satisfy his sexual motives, took the victim’s jacket, pressed it to his face, and then discarded it on the ground. The encounter left marks on the young woman’s thighs and led to lasting effects, including depressed or anxious mood and post-traumatic stress symptoms that required ongoing attention in the aftermath.
The authorities arrested him in August of the previous year, with Judicial Police officers from Elche Police Station taking him into custody, and he has remained in prison while awaiting the hearing. The sentence includes a prohibition on approaching or contacting the victim for five years after release, and a probation period of eight years following release. The victim sustained injuries during the incident and received a fine of 180 euros for a separate offense referenced in the case.