In April 2016, a Romanian man aged 41, Iulian S.O., killed a 47-year-old Romanian prostitute by stabbing her in a Valls apartment after a night of drinking. The victim had refused to show him certain photos on her phone, which led to a violent confrontation. After the murder, the assailant turned himself in to the local police in Valls.
He was remanded in custody and two years later the Tarragona Provincial Court sentenced him to 11 years in prison for murder with premeditation. The court noted his confession and his high level of intoxication, factors that influenced the verdict since prosecutors had sought a 20-year term. The convict expressed remorse in court, attributing the tragedy to his inebriation, a point echoed during the proceedings.
According to the prosecution, in 2015 the defendant had met the victim, a sex worker, through online advertisements and they had several encounters. He reportedly fell in love and urged her to leave prostitution, but she refused. In April 2016 they met again at an apartment on Muralla del Castell Street in Valls, where, after a heated dispute, he killed her.
The inmate had been serving time at Mas d’Enric prison. For years he had earned a role as a trusted inmate who works in the kitchen, a position that involves handling sharp tools like knives. He completed food-handling training to qualify for the post, earned a salary, and was deemed well integrated into the facility, although he remained in the high-risk offender unit, according to prison sources.
On a Wednesday afternoon, the same inmate attacked Nuria L., a cook at the Mas d’Enric Reintegration Center, with a knife inside one of the cold-storage chambers and took her life. He then killed himself by slitting his own throat with the same knife. The motives remain unclear, and Mossos d’Esquadra have opened an investigation. Colleagues in the prison kitchen discovered the bodies and alerted emergency services. The court ordered secrecy on the proceedings.
The Tarragona Court of Instruction No. 3, acting as the duty court, is handling the case at Mas d’Enric prison. A judicial delegation, including a judge, prosecutor, justice official, and a forensic specialist, conducted the body removals between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The case remains open pending the police report from Mossos d’Esquadra, and secrecy orders remain in place. The inmate who killed the cook was due to complete his sentence in 2027.
Institutional Response
Civic demonstrations were organized to condemn the crime, with moments of silence planned at all penitentiary centers on Thursday at noon. The Minister of Justice, Gemma Ubasart, and the Secretary of Penal Measures, Amand Calderó, visited Mas d’Enric to support workers and join the moment of silence. Flags were flown at half-mast at all facilities in mourning.
Justice officials extended condolences to penitentiary professionals during these very challenging times and highlighted the staff’s professionalism and care in handling events at Mas de Enric, praising the team for their conduct under pressure.
The minister and the secretary also arranged for a psychological support team to assist workers at the center. They stressed that Mossos d’Esquadra are leading the investigation and emphasized the importance of letting professionals do their work as the case unfolds.
Union Reactions
The Mas d’Enric incident is seen by prison unions as a tipping point after years of warnings about rising violence inside Catalan prisons, including threats to staff. They organized a protest in front of the Penal Measures Secretariat, calling for accountability and action.
National unions including CSIF, Acaip-Ugt, CCOO, and Confederación Intersindical Galega released a joint statement noting that violence is a persistent issue across Spanish penitentiary administrations, with workers subjected to assaults, threats, and disrespect on a daily basis.
However, they stressed that the Tarragona prison tragedy represents a breach of a line never crossed before in the country: no other inmate had killed a staff member. They expressed solidarity with Nuria’s family and friends and urged authorities to reflect on policy directions in prisons, warning that escalating conflict cannot continue unchecked.
In addition, Acaip Catalunya pointed to officials in the Department of Justice as partly responsible, citing 2023 assault statistics that show higher rates of aggression and injuries among workers, along with a significant upward trend since 2016. They advocated urgent and effective measures to reduce danger and protect both staff and inmates. The unions urged leadership to take decisive steps to curb violence rather than allowing risk to grow.
CCOO likewise condemned the crime and lamented the recurrent aggression faced by Catalan prison workers. They called for immediate, practical actions from the Department of Justice to address this ongoing burden and to safeguard the integrity of both staff and inmates.