Harassment aimed at a minor culminated in a conviction. The head of Vigo Criminal Court No. 2 sentenced a man to 13 months in prison for abusing a teenager. The acts included repeated hostile phone calls and explicit sexual language. The victim even recorded several calls and began conversing with the caller to uncover the person behind the voice. Residents of a municipality in the Vigo region, who share a love of riding and are known to one another, witnessed the case unfold. The convicted individual was ordered to pay the young woman 5,000 euros in compensation and is prohibited from approaching or communicating with her for two and a half years. The case also noted the moral damage caused, as the victim described a severe impact on daily life, including fear of leaving home, a drop in academic performance, stomach problems, and anxiety crises that required hospitalization. This summary draws on official court records and the testimony presented during the proceedings.
The events date to August 2020. During that month, the accused began repeatedly calling the minors cell phone while concealing his identity and using explicit moans. At first, the young person hung up immediately after each call. Eventually she started answering to determine the callers identity, and the man claimed they knew each other while posing questions about her location and activities.
offers
As days passed, the behavior shifted toward sexual propositions delivered in crude and insulting terms. By the end of August, after the callers identity was revealed, the convicted man apologized and stated he would refrain from further contact. Yet in November of the same year, he joined a group on a messaging platform. The teen continued to endure anxiety and distress, which led to a crisis in mid-December and required treatment at the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital Emergency Department in Vigo.
For the judge, there was no doubt about the defendants guilt. In addition to the victims testimony being deemed fully credible, the audio recordings of several phone calls formed a central evidentiary pillar. The court also considered testimonies from the victims mother, the counselor at the school where the victim studied at the time, and the psychologist who assisted during the investigation.
Sentence
“A serious change in the life of the young woman” the ruling described. The judge found that the harassment involved repetitive and persistent calls, identity concealment, and obscene and insulting language directed at a minor. These actions produced a drastic alteration in the victims daily life, far beyond mere annoyance.
The victim was described as more vulnerable due to her age. The court emphasized that moral damage was proven beyond reasonable doubt. The pattern of harassment forced the young woman to change her routine, avoid going out alone, struggle with sleep and eating, withdraw socially, and experience concentration problems affecting work and study. The judge noted the developing adolescent
ge contributes to greater vulnerability and fragility.
burden of proof
In weighing the case, the court highlighted the need to consider the adolescentxposure to repetitive harassment and the resulting drastic changes in daily life. The defendantehavior matched the elements of the offense described in Article 172 ter of the Penal Code. The actions included repeatedly calling the victim, concealing identity, groaning, naming the minor, and directing obscene and insulting expressions during other calls. The government described these as persistent and repetitive behaviors that seriously affected the victim
aily life. The minor status of the victim added to the severity and vulnerability recognized by the magistrate.
‘following’, an obsessive behavior introduced in the Criminal Code seven years ago
The offense of harassment entered the Criminal Code in 2015. Article 172 penalizes persistent harassment through a range of behaviors, with potential penalties up to seven years in prison for certain circumstances, including tracking or pursuing the victim or contacting the victim through any means or third parties.
Cases of harassment crimes, also known as stalking, are increasing in Vigo courts. Recent examples include a man convicted of harassing another man he knew who walked his dogs by calling him, leaving a note in a mailbox, or sending flowers. In another instance, a man was convicted for fixating on a supermarket worker he persistently watched, waiting in parking lots or following by car. A separate case involved a Vigo resident who subjected a neighbor to repeated distress, while another involved the persistent messaging of an ex-spouse.