Messages
A verdict has been issued in a case involving a 62-year-old man, Vicente Paradís Ibáñez, who was found guilty by a popular jury of the deliberate harassment and coercion of a minor. The legal process concluded with a lengthy sentence after a trial that drew significant media attention. The judge delivered a sentence of ten years in prison for the crimes discussed, which spanned a period of intense online abuse that ultimately contributed to the minor taking her own life several years ago. The case was presented in a detailed, multi-page ruling that laid out the facts and legal reasoning in a measured, formal manner for the public record.
The presiding magistrate at the Provincial Court in Castle explained the jury’s conclusions while clarifying a legal nuance. The private prosecution had requested a harsher outcome, arguing that aggravating circumstances warranted a longer term. The judge, however, found that the aggravating factor of supremacy could not be applied in this situation, since it would amount to punishing the same act twice. This would violate the principle that prohibits double punishment for the same conduct.
The court underscored that, while the accused was found responsible for the minor’s death, the primary evidence—specifically the extraction and handling of the deceased’s mobile phone messages—was obtained in a lawful manner under the established chain of custody. Messages containing threats and coercive language were submitted as decisive corroboration of the criminal conduct, with the defense failing to cast doubt on their authenticity or relevance to the events in question.
Civil liability
Beyond the prison term, Paradís faced financial penalties: a total of €146,000 in damages to the deceased teenager’s parents and an additional €27,000 in damages to the deceased’s brother. The amounts were slightly below what the Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested. The parents testified at various sessions with evident emotion, noting that the verdict represented a measure of justice. They reported that their son would be remembered and that they hoped peace would follow the public reckoning of the events.
Source
The defendant’s attorney indicated an intention to appeal the sentence after the verdict was read in court. While the defense did not confess to authorship of all the harassment messages, a cautious acknowledgement appeared during later interviews with evaluators who were part of the pre-trial assessment process. The case was reviewed by the High Court of Valencia and by the relevant regional authority, and the full decision documented the procedural steps and evidentiary findings.
decision in detail. five proven facts
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Vicente Paradís Ibáñez contacted the minor via WhatsApp and sent 119 messages within a three-hour window, establishing a pattern of persistent communication.
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In the wake of the initial messages, the teen replied with warnings about age and consent, offering apologies and sending voicemails such as pleas not to escalate the situation, while expressing fear and distress over the ongoing contact.
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Paradís was aware of the emotional distress caused and understood that the minor’s self-harm risk was high. The recipient’s absence during some exchanges did not halt the messaging, which continued until a tragic outcome occurred at a later time.
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The deceased’s family members suffered moral harm from the loss, and the court acknowledged that they deserved appropriate recognition and compensation for the emotional impact of the event.
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Paradís was aware that the person he was messaging was a minor and exploited that vulnerability in a deliberate and calculated manner, which intensified the harmful impact of the communications.