The Criminal Court number 3 of Orihuela condemned Benferri’s mayor to four months in jail and to pay 42,574 euros in compensation to a civil servant for psychological disorders linked to persistent harassment between 2014 and 2018. The case also involved a supervisor in the City Council who faced related allegations. The sentence reflects findings that the mayor acted with a pattern of abusive behavior toward the employee, contributing to ongoing distress over several years.
Historically, the victim endured physical and psychological fatigue, with two years of incapacity noted in some records. The Special Prosecutor’s Office had asked for two years of imprisonment, the maximum permitted under the Penal Code for this crime, while the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor requested one year in prison. The final ruling turned down the initial six-month period, reducing it to four months, after the judge found evidence of undue delays. The proceedings began in February 2017, and the verdict arrived more than five years later. The mayor’s defense requested acquittal, arguing the facts did not amount to a crime. The sentence remains subject to appeal.
Expenses and allowances
Luis Vicente Mateo has served as mayor of Benferri since 1999 and as a councilor since 1994. Joaquín Botella García was Secretary-Controller in the Benferri City Council. The sentence describes a sustained pattern of abusive conduct by the mayor toward the official, with corroboration from members of the governing team, other officials, and even local police.
A judge acquits the mayor of Benferri for cheating while collecting his allowances (2018)
The resolution notes that the mayor and the secretary maintained an intimate personal and working relationship. In 2014, a management audit by the notary public highlighted questionable economic-financial practices at the City Council, including a perception of pocket money and expense payments for the mayor. The defendant responded with harassment toward the secretary, which medical and psychological records described as causing significant distress in work relations.
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Mateo reportedly allowed PSOE councilors to confirm during plenary sessions that the secretary was collaborating with the opposition in a way that discredited the secretary, without intervention from the mayor. In one session, a councilor urged dismissal, while another refused to make public commitments and described the secretary’s interventions in critical terms. Secretaries are present at plenary sessions as witnesses to proceedings, and their role is central to the municipality’s governance.
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On another occasion, the secretary instructed an official on file processing, and the mayor reportedly blocked the official from leaving the office by speaking loudly and continuing to berate him in front of others. The mayor also increased wages and duties for other technicians by decree. This led to the affected official being on leave from May to September 2015. When the official returned, the mayor isolated him, directing that all communications go through the mayor or be sent by email, altering the usual direct contact pattern in a small municipal administration.
After returning to work, the official faced further isolation from the mayor, who restricted direct contact with staff to formal channels. This contrasted with the normal duties of the secretary-controller, who typically liaises directly with the mayor and acts as a key administrative hub.
The mayor began assigning report tasks with tight deadlines, including a modernization plan in 2015 that reportedly allowed only a 24-hour window before a plenary session. The 2016 budget liquidation reportedly occurred just one day before a general assembly, mirroring a pattern of compressed timelines. In February 2016, the undersecretary-controller was publicly blamed on the municipality’s social media channels for payroll delays.
“Isolation, harassment and cornering”
The verdict found that the mayor’s actions damaged the secretary’s personal and professional reputation and contributed to ongoing isolation, harassment, and pressure in performing duties. This pattern led to another round of leave, spanning April 2016 to March 2018. In a later phase, Vicente Mateo reportedly replaced the secretary and ordered that any instructions be issued in writing through local police representatives. A further leave period followed from July to October 2018. Between 2014 and 2018, seven disciplinary files were opened against the officer and subsequently archived. The same cousin of the mayor, working in the municipality, filled secretarial duties during absences.
SENTENCE THAT SHOULD RESPECT BUT NOT SHARE AND NOT HARD
The mayor, Luis Vicente Mateo, Orihuela 3, stated that justice should be respected even if he did not share the verdict and indicated plans to appeal. He emphasized a commitment to defending the staff and the community, framing his role as balancing public service with personal duties as a teacher by profession. He expressed hope for a timely resolution and reiterated his belief in his innocence.
The councilor argued that actions taken were aimed at protecting the City Council staff as a whole, maintaining that as mayor he continually defended residents and the local community. He described his role as demanding but essential to serve the people of Benferri.
The mayor asserted that continuing to serve requires substantial personal effort aligned with his teaching career. He added that residents of Benferri deserved clarity and that the matter should be resolved promptly to restore trust in local governance.
ONE OF THE MOST VETERAN LEADERS IN THE PROVINCE
Benferri, a small municipality in Vega Baja with around 1,800 residents, has long seen Luis Vicente Mateo as a dominant figure. Since 1999 he has held the mayoralty for decades and has been a central advocate on regional issues, while also facing criticism from some quarters for his stance on the Valencian language and flood management. A schoolteacher by training, his long tenure has placed him at the center of local political debates within the PSOE.