A court in Zaragoza has handed down a six-year prison sentence to Cristian Stiven Mondragón Cardenas, a Colombian born in 1997, for the assault and rape of a 17-year-old girl outside the Supernova Club. He pressured the victim to leave the venue to buy methamphetamine and, once they were alone near the Ebro river, he restrained her with a grip on the neck and forced her against a wall. After checking that escape was not possible, he raped her vaginally on three occasions while ignoring her pleas to stop, until she finally managed to flee.
The incident occurred in the early hours of January 23, 2023. The victim reported the matter promptly and reached the club doors to inform staff at the security point. On the way, she encountered a security guard who, after hearing a third party speaking on the phone with the accused, took steps to locate the girl because he feared something worse might happen. The guard found her distressed and crying, and alerted the 092 police room. Mondragón Cardenas, who had initially fled the scene, was later intercepted by teams from the National Police and the Local Police stationed near Avenida Jose Atarés in Zaragoza.
Another individual was detained at the time, but the examining magistrate closed the case against him after a request from his counsel, Cristian Monclús, who cited the testimony of the victim and the security staff to support the argument that his client did not participate in the assault.
The facts date back to January 22, 2023, around 3:30 a.m., when the defendant and the victim coincided inside the nightclub. The defendant proposed using crystal and the pair left the venue to prevent the purchase from being detected by surveillance cameras. The victim did not anticipate what followed as she was shoved against a wall of a bridge and grabbed by the neck to stop her from escaping. It was then that she was raped.
The provincial court, presided by Judge Francisco Picazo, found the victim’s testimony credible based on the evidence presented at the February 22 trial. The court noted expert testimony that showed traces of the defendant’s DNA on the victim and medical forensic statements. Experts also described the victim as experiencing post-traumatic stress, with signs of emotional instability, sadness, guilt, and reduced appetite.
The ruling includes a nine-year period of supervised freedom and a 15-year order to stay at least 250 meters away from the victim. Mondragón Cardenas must also pay 12,000 euros in civil compensation for moral damages. Initially, prosecutors and the private accusation asked for an eight-year sentence.