Investigation in Lloret de Mar Details Family Tragedy
The Mossos d’Esquadra investigation into the deaths of Sergey Protosenian, his wife, and their daughter in Lloret de Mar (La Selva) continues without evidence pointing to an external killer. A visual inspection of the scene, blood spatter analysis, fingerprints, and autopsies have not revealed any clue supporting an outsider’s involvement. From day one, the prevailing police hypothesis has been that Sergey killed his daughter, then his wife, and finally took his own life. This remains a double crime with the perpetrator’s suicide following the deaths, raising questions about motive and the sequence of events.
Sources close to the case have cautioned against framing the incident as a case of violence by proxy, where a spouse harms the children to hurt the other parent. In this instance, all available indicators suggest Sergey attacked both women while they were asleep. The 53‑year‑old mother and her 16‑year‑old daughter had not known him to threaten or harm them previously, based on investigators’ accounts. It appears he aimed to end the suffering rather than inflict pain on the family as a whole. Early reports describe Sergey first striking his victims with the back of an axe, then killing them with a knife after the victims lost consciousness. The case lacks the usual patterns associated with gender-based offenses.
Neither the husband nor the marriage showed signs of a breakup or infidelity that typically fuels gender‑related violence. The Protosenian family consisted of four members: a 21‑year‑old son who resides in Paris. This son, who traveled to Spain after the tragedy to see his father and sister, told investigators that he had noticed his father in a moody state the day prior. He had come to the Lloret de Mar residence a day earlier to drop off his sister and then returned home. The following day, April 19, the son could no longer reach his parents or sister. He alerted the police, who found three members of the Protosenian family dead at the home in the Els Pinars neighborhood. The wife and daughter were inside their rooms, and Sergey was found hanging from an exterior railing. His clothing bore bloodstains from the victims. The son described his parents as happily married, with no clear signs of Sergey displaying aggressive behavior.
Similar cases in Russia
Journalist Sergey Khazov-Cassia of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty explains that on April 18, the day before the Lloret de Mar deaths, a crime with similar characteristics occurred in Moscow. Vladislav Avaev, vice president of Gazprombank, was found dead along with his wife and youngest daughter. Like Avaev, Protosenia held senior roles in a major energy company. Novatek was his employer. Some Spanish media reported that both men were oligarchs, a portrayal that has not been accepted by all sources. The discussion around the war in Ukraine and Putin’s influence has been cited in various reports, though the Khazov-Cassia source contends that these men should not be labeled oligarchs simply due to disagreements expressed about broader geopolitical issues. Protosenia’s net worth has been estimated around 400 million, though figures vary and remain unconfirmed.
In the Lloret de Mar case, investigators found around 10,000 euros in cash and high-value jewelry, items cataloged by a court clerk. Like many other wealthy individuals, the Protosenian family had access to international residence options, including spaces in the Schengen area and property in Cyprus. They spent limited time in the country, maintaining a residence elsewhere and visiting the Costa Brava home for short periods.
Devices and potential leads
The Mossos, prosecutors, and the investigating judge have not publicly endorsed any hypothesis beyond Sergey as the perpetrator who then took his own life. Nevertheless, investigators plan to examine the family’s mobile devices and computers, especially those belonging to Sergey, to explore any possible evidence that could explain why the events occurred within a day of each other. Access to information from various authorities in Russia may be restricted because of ongoing diplomatic frictions, complicating collaborative efforts. While parallels between the Lloret de Mar deaths and the earlier case in Moscow have fueled rumors, authorities have emphasized the need for cautious analysis and verified facts. The situation remains under careful review as authorities pursue any avenue that could clarify the sequence of events and motives, if any, underlying the tragedy.