The Provincial Court of Teruel has sentenced a grandfather to four years in prison for sexually abusing his granddaughter when she was 13 years old. The crime was committed on the night of August 11, 2021 when the girl was spending a few days on vacation at her paternal grandparents’ house in Alcañiz (Teruel).
According to the proven facts, while the granddaughter was sleeping with her grandparents in the same bed, the convicted man pulled down the minor’s pajama pants and underwear. She then touched his genitals and attempted to lure her granddaughter towards him. The girl, being aware of what her grandfather was trying, called her grandmother and, when she woke up, the accused pretended to be asleep.
It was not until April 2022 when the girl’s mother, who has filed the private prosecution, found out about the abuse, after seeing some “alarming” WhatsApp messages from her daughter to a friend.
In September of that same year, the minor was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by the Pediatric Service of the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid. In turn, she began psychiatric treatment for an adjustment disorder with mixed alterations in emotions and behavior, with symptoms compatible with an experience of sexual abuse, such as sleep problems, nightmares, self-harm or anxiety attacks.
In the ruling, reported by Europa Press, the court considered that “the minor’s account of the events is consistent, persistent, lacking relevant contradictions or ambiguities.” That is why it has been estimated that the minor’s statement is sufficient evidence to refute the presumption of innocence of the accused.
Furthermore, it has decreed that there are no circumstances “that could lead to suspicion of a spurious motive” for the mother to file a complaint.
The grandfather, 71 years old, a native of Ecuador and resident in Madrid, must compensate his granddaughter with 6,000 euros plus legal interest for moral damages. Likewise, once the prison sentence is over, the accused is prohibited from approaching the victim at a distance of less than 500 meters for ten years. As well as communicate with the young woman by any means.
The private accusation, brought by the minor’s mother, demanded ten years in prison for the convicted person plus another six years of supervised release. The Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, requested six years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Finally, after serving the sentence, the Superior Court of Justice of Aragon has decided to impose a measure of supervised release on the accused for five years.
