In the Canary Islands, the High Court of Justice confirmed a sentence of a long prison term for a German national, upholding a total of multiple decades in prison for a sequence of violent crimes that culminated in the death of his wife and one of his children in 2019. The crimes occurred in an isolated area near Adeje, Tenerife, inside a cave accessed from the upper region near Ifonche and Quinta. The court record describes the defendant as the primary aggressor in a brutal act of domestic violence that ended with the loss of life and a failed attempt to end another life. The ruling emphasizes the deliberate nature of the violence and the extended period of imprisonment ordered by the court in response to the gravity of the offenses.
Throughout the proceedings, the defense argued that parts of the appeal should be granted to remove an aggravating factor tied to the killing of the child who died shortly after the attack. The court, however, maintained the original sentence and noted that the aggravating circumstances were properly applied in relation to the child’s death and to the other offenses connected to the family. The decision confirms the existence of severest penalties for offenses that include murder and related crimes under the applicable laws.
The court indicates that there is insufficient evidence to support claims that the defendant consciously caused excessive pain to his son in a way that would alter the overall verdict. The judgment explicitly outlines the legal reasoning surrounding the accusation of murder and how the various elements of treason and familial ties affected the outcome of the case. The defendant was also found guilty of another homicide against the wife and received an additional prison term for this offense, as well as a separate sentence for attempted murder with aggravating circumstances. A separate long-term penalty was imposed for the most serious act, reflecting the enduring impact of the crime on the family and the community.
Victims and sequence of events
The court’s narrative describes the morning of April 23, 2019, when the accused allegedly attacked his wife in an isolated corner of Adeje. He allegedly struck her with his hands and with a stone of significant weight, forcing her to the ground inside a cave. The intention appeared to be to cause her death, and the sequence culminated with the use of a heavy stone that inflicted fatal injuries. The ruling notes that the family was deliberately guided to a remote location to prevent intervention or assistance, highlighting the defendant’s intent and the apparent lack of defense by the victims.
According to the verdict, the eldest son intervened to defend his mother and was subjected to violent blows from his father. The assault left him severely injured and, ultimately, dead. The court records indicate that the mother and the elder son were killed in the same location, while the youngest son, witnessing the attack, fled the scene in fear for his own life, believing that the terrain offered little chance of escape. The narrative underscores the terrifying sequence of events and the calculated nature of the actions that led to the family tragedy.
Beyond the immediate criminal convictions, the judgment imposes multiple penalties, including substantial monetary damages to be paid to the victims’ family. The court notes that these penalties are part of the broader remediation and accountability framework established to address the harm caused by such violent acts.
The appeal against this decision is subject to further review before the country’s Supreme Court, indicating that the legal process remains ongoing and that additional legal scrutiny may refine or confirm the existing outcomes. The case stands as a stark reminder of the severe penalties imposed for crimes of domestic violence and murder, particularly when they involve vulnerable family members in isolated settings where the risk of intervention is minimal.