R. is twelve years old and has not attended his school in Elda since November 16, 2023, a total of more than four and a half months. His mother says the school principal has reported the child absent to the city council’s absenteeism office for not attending classes. Behind this story lies a claimed sexual assault that allegedly affected R. on that November day last year.
“He felt discomfort and he was told it might be a sting,” says Carmen Alunda, the boy’s mother, recounting what her child told her.
Carmen says there is more to the story. She describes that R., due to an autism diagnosis, was always accompanied to the bathroom, and the person who accompanied him tended to be the alleged aggressor and a better friend who is also a minor. Last Friday, R. reportedly confessed to Carmen that this same boy had engaged in touching and that he himself was pressured to perform such acts; she also claims that the boy allegedly performed oral acts on him on occasion.
The mother refused to allow her son to return to class with the alleged aggressor. “I thought the matter would be resolved within 48 hours. At first the school seemed willing to address it, but the following Monday, after the incident, we met with the director and the counselor. They questioned R.
and criticized him for entering a supposedly supervised bathroom where the events took place.”
Carmen filed a police report on November 27 with the National Police in Elda and has also approached the Valencian Ombudsman. She argues that these procedures should have been initiated by the school itself, not her. The center, according to Carmen, has not proposed separating the alleged aggressor from R. In her view, moving R. to another school would cause considerable emotional upheaval and injustice. She notes that R. now receives two hours of instruction per week from a professional on a voluntary basis.
During an educational inspection, on November 30, one inspector and two psychologists attended a meeting. Carmen recalls being told that her son’s relationship with the alleged aggressor could be misinterpreted as a romantic one. She says she was denied access to case documentation. At that point she decided to file a complaint with the Valencian Ombudsman, and it was there that she received the investigation results and the official resolution, both dated late November but delivered to her on February 12.
The formal absenteeism case against her son was opened on January 8, and Carmen was summoned by the city social worker about a month later. She attended the appointment, reiterating the conditions she has set for his readmission: that the supposed aggressor and R. not share the same classroom.
On March 12, Carmen participated in another meeting with the city of Elda’s absenteeism office. The record from that session presents a resolution with measures and a proposal from the regional Education authority. It outlines R.
’s timetable, reiterates the push to reintegrate him into the education system, and notes the possibility of a school transfer. The minutes show that municipal officials and regional education staff were present at the meeting.
According to the document, the conclusion is that R. will remain in the same classroom as the alleged aggressor, and that instead of receiving a portion of the logopedic support he had previously, he would receive ten sessions. In physical education and other classes, he would attend with a support group for a year-level younger than his own, as reflected in the timetable reviewed by the journalist.
In an effort to close this troubling chapter, one of the agreed actions in the meeting minutes is Carmen’s attendance at the school and a meeting with R.
’s tutor to discuss the timetable and his immediate reintegration. The plan also specifies a new date for Carmen to meet with the student’s educational advisor for further adjustments. She has expressed a clear wish for her son to rejoin classes as soon as possible.
From the school leadership, attempts to obtain a consistent account have not yielded a clear public explanation. Neither the school nor the Education Department has provided a detailed statement about the case.
All told, the account describes a difficult, ongoing struggle around school attendance, safety, and the best path forward for a child with autism, his class placement, and the role of adults in managing a delicate situation. The family continues to seek a resolution that protects the child while acknowledging the seriousness of the alleged events. The situation remains under review by multiple authorities and educational bodies. The community awaits a transparent, child-centered outcome. [Source: local reporting and official records cited in late 2023–early 2024].