Judgment in Palma Jacome Case

The trial followed last June and July, when Jorge Ignacio Palma Jacome was found guilty of three completed murders and eight attempted murders of women. The case involved a chilling sequence in which high-purity cocaine was involuntarily inserted into victims in intimate areas. The verdict was reached today, though not in the way some had anticipated.

Judges from the Levante-EMV court faced a difficult task in sentencing. They determined that the defendant would not receive the maximum penalties available under Spanish law for multiple murders or for the total number of violent offenses alleged. The court recognized the gravity of the crimes while applying the specific criteria required by law. The defense had argued for the minimum punishments, and the charges called for continuous review rather than fixed statutory ceilings, leading to a sentence that diverged from the maximums requested by the prosecution and some observers.

The court imposed a total prison term of 159 years and 11 months, to be served under the framework of Spanish sentencing rules that cap maximum terms for severe crimes. The sentence included individual terms for each completed murder, with substantial reductions from the theoretical maximums in light of the defense’s strategy and the legal allowances for multiple offenses. The decision reflected the court’s effort to balance accountability with the statutory framework governing serious crimes.

Specifically, three completed murders carried substantial terms, while the nine accompanying offenses shaped the overall duration. The authorities explained that the defense had opted for the legally required minimum for certain offenses, and the proceedings included a permanent review component rather than a set, fixed ceiling for common murder counts.

14 years per attack for each of the six survivors

As the case moved through the survivor testimony, seven individuals testified about the harm they endured. One initially reported eight victims, but one witness withdrew during the trial to avoid re-living the ordeal. The court did not convict the defendant of any bodily-harm offenses against that witness, instead sentencing him for other offenses related to the survivors. The final tally for those actions included two and a half years for a sexual abuse charge, distinct from other counts.

For the remaining six victims, the judge issued 14-year terms for each count tied to attempted murders and sexual abuse, with the court finding seven women and two men affected by the defendant’s actions. In addition, the sentence included measures restricting contact and intimacy with the victims for a period following release, along with probation terms to ensure ongoing oversight and rehabilitation expectations.

The court set a potential maximum post-release supervision period tied to the length of the overall sentence, with the expectation that the total confinement time would shape the subsequent phase of monitoring and reintegration. The decision reflected a careful calculation of risk and the need to deter similar conduct in the future.

During the trial, the proceedings highlighted the severity of the crimes, particularly the use of highly potent cocaine supplied to vulnerable women. The judge explained that the defendant chose victims from marginalized groups, knowing that reporting would be unlikely and that death could be presented as a consequence of a dangerous lifestyle. This pattern of behavior was cited as aggravating gender-based violence and a manifestation of machismo domination, a finding supported by the jury’s assessment of the evidence.

640 thousand euro compensation

Following the verdict, the tribunal ordered compensation for the victims and their families totaling 640,000 euros. In the course of the eleven offenses—six completed murders, three attempted murders, and multiple sexual abuse incidents—the court concluded that the defendant’s actions included repeated drugging, coercive control, and deliberate harm. The compensation accounted for the harm to surviving victims and the impact on their loved ones, acknowledging the victims’ suffering and the long-term consequences of the crimes.

The ruling underscored the betrayal of trust by someone who exploited vulnerable women. The court noted the premeditated nature of the offenses and the deliberate concealment of the violence, stressing that the defendant always acted with the belief that his victims could not defend themselves. The decision emphasized the extent to which the perpetrator exploited a gendered power imbalance and sought to subjugate those who were already marginalized.

Legal assessment and final remarks

The tribunal described the defendant as having chosen vulnerable victims and proceeding with a pattern designed to maximize control and harm. The record highlighted the calculated use of violence, the concealment of the true danger, and the troubling dynamics of abuse and domination. The judge noted that the victims faced a routine of coercion that often went unreported, emphasizing the broader societal harm when women face violence of this nature. The sentence reflected a balance between accountability for the acts and the statutory framework guiding severe crimes.

Additional penalties for the drug trade

In addition to sentences tied to the violent offenses, the court imposed five years for a separate drug-trafficking charge. The offenses related to the period of activity spanning roughly a year and a half, during which the accused targeted women in prostitution until a law-enforcement effort halted the crimes. The final sentence underscores the multiplicity of offenses and the comprehensive nature of the public response to the case.