The events occurred in the summer of four years ago, when the individuals involved were teenagers. A 17-year-old boy celebrated a birthday with friends in a bar in the Infante district of Murcia. He has since been convicted for the acts that followed.
The victim had previously worked as a waitress at the establishment, so the owner knew her. According to the proven facts, around two in the morning, the group was sitting on a bench when the man began sending messages to her, encouraging her to return to the bar with him.
She agreed to go back inside, and at that moment the innkeeper served him more alcohol. The court’s ruling states that the accused acted by taking advantage of his own intoxicated state, which impaired his ability to make decisions in matters of sexuality. He proceeded to rape her.
To the hospital with the police
Outside the bar, two friends followed the man and helped him reach a residence where his mother later came to care for him. That same morning, the woman was taken to the police station, accompanied by National Police officers. An inquiry including a medical examination and a forensic assessment was conducted to determine the facts of the sexual assault.
In her testimony at trial, the victim indicated that the man, who also happened to be the head of the man who assaulted her, was a family friend. She recalled entering the bar that night, taking a drink given by him, and then losing memory of the events that followed. She knew she was wearing underwear when she entered the bar, but her friends later told her she was not wearing them when she left.
He claims she fell asleep
The defendant, for his part, asserted that the girl remained asleep after entering the premises. He said he tried to wake her while she was using the toilet and that she eventually got dressed. He stated that the young woman fell asleep while others helped her and was then escorted outside where several men were waiting, and one of them supposedly assisted in removing her from the scene.
By six in the morning the victim had left the bar and could not walk unaided, according to the court decision. Some clothing was left behind in the building. A relative of the victim provided crucial testimony, explaining that the suspect intended to take the young woman home, but friends prevented this. The court noted DNA evidence in the victim’s underwear, including traces on the inside of her bra. The defendant has been sentenced to four years in prison, with a subsequent five-year probation term and a requirement to pay 7,000 euros to the victim, who may not be approached for six years. [Citation: Official court records and forensic reports.]