A Lithuanian national with a prior criminal record involving corruption of minors, who had been inside the Netherlands, agreed to voluntary deportation from Spain for a period of ten years in order to avoid a potential sentence of two years and six months in prison. The case concerned an alleged attempt to kidnap a 7-year-old boy while he was playing in a park in Alicante.
The incident took place on June 15, 2022, when the accused approached the child, according to the public accusation. Reports indicate that the man engaged with the child, briefly grasped him by both arms, and began to move away. A crowd of onlookers, including several family members, pursued him until the defendant released the child and returned to the scene. The surrounding commotion prompted attention from bystanders, who helped ensure the minor’s safety.
Initially, prosecutors requested a three-year prison term for attempted unlawful detention. However, during the oral hearing conducted this week before the Second Division of the Provincial Court of Alicante, the two parties and the Public Ministry reached a settlement. The prosecution reduced its demand to two and a half years after the defendant admitted the act and agreed to the ten-year expulsion from the country instead of serving a longer sentence.
Judgment
The presiding judge accepted the conviction. The agreement also involved a payment of 2,000 euros to the minor as compensation for non-pecuniary damages. The defendant acknowledged the act and accepted the terms of the deal, including the costs of the transaction. The sentence imposes a restraining order and assigns a total prison term of four years. The court ordered that the defendant refrain from approaching anyone under the age of majority within 300 meters and prohibited any form of communication with the minor or the minor’s associates.
In his brief statement before the court, the defendant admitted to being the person responsible for the actions described by the Prosecutor’s Office. He explained that he had intended to wish the child a happy birthday and had briefly lifted him in his arms to offer a hug. He also claimed that the child’s relatives began to hit him, prompting his decision to leave the scene. The court did not accept these assertions as mitigating and proceeded with the recorded adjudication.
The court will shortly provide details on how the ten-year deportation will be implemented. It is noted that if the defendant returns to Spain before the end of the deportation period, the possibility exists that entering the country could trigger a sentence of two and a half years in prison, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.