Evidence presented centers on the case against a 62-year-old vice president from Moncofa, who faces a murder trial at the Castellón County Court. Allegations include harassment and threats connected to a case involving a 17-year-old who died after falling from a height. The public prosecution is pursuing a prison sentence of 12 years, with the parents and brother of the deceased pressing for accountability in this high-profile matter.
Following the review of the court minutes and a range of witness statements, the defendant took the stand after initially declining to testify. He denied the act in question, stating that he had no communication with the young man. Yet prosecutors indicated that, in earlier interviews with a psychologist and a social worker he had met years earlier after a prior arrest, he acknowledged some connection to the case. The defendant expressed remorse, saying that he carried an emotional burden and asserted that he did not admit guilt, while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. He claimed he never spoke to the deceased.
He asserted that he did not contact the young person and claimed that he rarely uses WhatsApp. The defense, seeking complete acquittal, argued that the minor and the accused did not know each other and questioned the reliability of the mobile phone evidence, describing the test as incomplete. The defendant’s lawyer contended that he is being treated unfairly after six years of investigation.
Case trainer’s statement
After the defendant spoke, investigators who were present at the scene and a national police officer in charge of the case provided their testimony. The witness defended the authenticity of the messages and asserted that the mobile phone containing the minor’s communications was handled with proper care. The officer indicated that the younger person’s cousin, who was in the room, had previously told him that threats had occurred.
In the financial assessment, the court notes that the adolescent received more than a hundred messages, spread across a few hours, with the intent to frighten. It is alleged that an adult and a minor may have shared some form of inappropriate contact via the phone. The messages included explicit language and serious threats, indicating an attempt to intimidate the young person.
Messages to scare
As the young person faced escalating pressure, repeated apologies appeared in the exchanges. However, nearly 50 messages from the accused carried threats to sue and demands that the minor involve his parents. Phrases indicating imminent consequences and suggestions of coercion were reported by the prosecution in the case file.
In the criminal complaint, the prosecutor explains that the adult, aware of the distress caused to the underage individual, reached a point where the young person stated an intention to take their own life and knowingly accepted that outcome as the adolescent described. The messages persisted even after the young person’s death, including references that implied accountability by the family and the possibility of public disclosure. The interim report from the prosecutor’s office outlines these elements and the proposed penalties.
According to testimony in the case file, the messages and even some images continued after the death, suggesting further attempts at intimidation. In addition to a potential 12-year prison sentence, the prosecutor’s office seeks compensation of 73,000 euros for each parent of the deceased and an additional 27,000 euros for the brother.
The trial is scheduled to extend into the following days as the jury weighs the evidence and delivers a verdict.
We have hope that justice will be served
The aunt of the deceased expressed relief that the truth is being examined, saying that those responsible should face consequences. Tears filled the courtroom as she remarked on the unexpected nature of the events and questioned how someone could take a cell phone away from a young person without awareness of the surrounding circumstances.
The parents and brother of the deceased are expected to testify on the following day. The Public Ministry is seeking a liability settlement of 170,000 euros in favor of the family, reflecting the emotional and financial impact of the case [citation: Public Ministry documents].