This Thursday the deliberation of the popular jury on the crime of the 9-year-old boy, Álex, on October 28, 2021 in Lardero (La Rioja), has been resumed and has unanimously found the defendant, Francisco Javier Almeida, guilty of the crimes of murder and sexual assault.
In addition, the jury has seen proven that the minor did not have the opportunity to defend himself during the events, as well as the extreme violence with which the defendant acted.
For his part, the spokesman has read the jury’s criteria, which also includes that the sentence is not suspended and that the possibility of the defendant being pardoned is not included in the sentence.
The nine members of the jury began their deliberation at noon yesterday, Wednesday, once the magistrate, after agreeing with the parties, handed them the object of the verdict, made up of several questions, the answers to which they must argue.
The jury, after sleeping in a hotel, has resumed its deliberation this Thursday at the Provincial Court of Logroño, where, from March 20 to 28, the trial against Francisco Javier Almeida as the alleged perpetrator of the murder and sexual assault of Alex.
Almeida, who was on probation since April 2020, is a repeat offender, given that he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder and sexual assault of a real estate agent in Logroño in 1998 and, in 1993, to 7 years in prison for assaulting sexually to a minor.
On this occasion, he was facing a request for reviewable permanent prison sentences for the crime of murder and 15 years in prison for sexual assault, requested by the prosecutor and the private prosecutions, exercised by Álex’s family; and popular, on behalf of the Clara Campoamor Association.
For his part, the defense asked for acquittal and, secondarily, if he was found guilty, that the extenuating factors of reparation for damages and confession be taken into account.
