Two minors encountered severe harm when a man provided cocaine in exchange for sexual acts and used violence when the girls resisted. In May 2022, the Court of Cassation affirmed the entire sentence of 34 years and 7 months imprisonment handed to the offender, a verdict described as disgusting by the Albacete Provincial Court, for two crimes of sexual assault, corruption of minors, injuries, and offenses against public health.
The high court’s decision, issued on 24 July and with El Periódico de España from the Prensa Ibérica group serving as rapporteur and Julián Sánchez Melgar, a former state attorney general, as the presiding magistrate, found the defense arguments unpersuasive. In the proceedings, two girls aged 17 and 15—located in different periods—were subjected to accusations that were rationally supported, leaving no grounds for acquittal.
The episode in August 2020 involved the two minors, who were under protection by the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. They fled after hiring a taxi previously arranged by the suspect, seeking refuge at their residence in Albacete. The vehicle took them to a warehouse in the Campollano industrial area, where the offender and an associate known as ‘el colorao’ were present, with cocaine and gear for consumption laid out on a table.
childlike appearance
When the associate saw the minors, remarking that they appeared very young, anger overtook him and he alerted his partner to the perceived youth of one of the girls who did not look even 15. They nevertheless offered drugs. One of the victims was already addicted because the offender repeatedly provided drugs in exchange for sex, while the other had no prior experience with substance use.
The younger girl began feeling ill minutes after ingesting the drug, and the offender offered to accompany her to the bathroom. There, he raped her despite her resistance—kicking, punching, and biting. The sentence notes that she cried out for help, but neither the associate nor the other man could hear her later, and the assault continued unchecked.
For the second girl, the court detailed how the attacker was connected to her through arrangements made by her mother, who rented a room in a Castilian capital residence where they lived. She was provided with alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine while the offender engaged in sexual activity with her until she was moved to protective care. The association Atreo-Colabora is cited in connection with her care.
The Supreme Court highlighted the offender’s role in coordinating and orchestrating the night’s events. He arranged the taxi that picked up the minors, waited outside the warehouse, and paid the fare. Once inside, he drove them through the warehouse before bringing them to his office, where cocaine and the necessary tools for smoking were present on the table.
The court noted that drug use did not erase the offender’s awareness of the illegality of his actions. It described the acts as particularly repugnant because they involved minors under 16 who were intoxicated and coerced into sexual activity in exchange for drugs. It also stated that such ingestion did not, by itself, excuse or diminish responsibility.
capacity to consent
In response to arguments challenging the victims’ maturity and the Cassation Court’s consideration of the facts, the Supreme Court affirmed that the two girls possessed a degree of development and maturity appropriate to their ages, and nothing in their understanding of sexual activity should be interpreted as rendering their consent invalid or impaired.
Regarding the second victim, psychological experts noted that abuse can impair a victim’s ability to understand and process the experience. They explained that victims often grapple with self-blame and fear, a pattern that can be intensified by substance use. The experts also highlighted how drugs can obscure judgment and complicate the perception of events, underscoring that the minors’ drug use was a significant factor in the case.
Finally, the high court rejected applying the so-called “if yes” provision when it would be more favorable than the 12-year baseline for assault on a minor. The updated penal framework allows up to 15 years in certain circumstances, but for the second victim the proportionality of repeated offenses dictated the minimum sentence, leaving little room for adjustment.
Throughout the proceedings, authorities emphasized that the actions were planned and executed with a clear awareness of the consequences. The court’s conclusions reflect the seriousness with which crimes against minors are treated, particularly when predatory behavior is amplified by drug involvement.
In sum, the case underlines the harms inflicted on vulnerable youths and the legal mechanisms available to address offenses that combine sexual exploitation, coercion, and drug-facilitated abuse. The decisions emphasize accountability for those who coordinate such offenses, even when the victims’ ages and circumstances might suggest empathy or leniency in another light. These rulings stand as a reminder that safeguarding minors remains a priority in the justice system and that the law seeks to deter future instances of coercion and exploitation by ensuring appropriate sentences and clear culpability for the perpetrators [Attribution: Court decisions and public records].