The Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has sentenced a man found guilty of causing severe injuries and sexual assault to an acquaintance residing in a shantytown in Güímar to an 18-year prison term, along with a fine of 50,000 euros and medical expenses reimbursement.
Rejecting the prosecution’s argument to reclassify the offense as just injuries, the Court increased the penalties sought from 5 to 14 years for attempted murder, in addition to 15 years for sexual assault.
The perpetrator had met the victim through his girlfriend and, upon her facing issues in their shared residence, he offered her shelter in a makeshift cabin without basic amenities like electricity and water in exchange for his help in fixing it.
An altercation ensued between them when a storm made it impossible for him to access the area with his off-road vehicle, leading him to demand the return of 50 euros he had lent for purchasing water.
The woman began to feel uncomfortable due to the man’s behaviour and shared her concerns with his wife, triggering further discord.
Subsequently, during a morning in October 2022, she accused him of breaking into her home, assaulting her with a stone, attempting to strangle her, and carrying out a sexual assault, followed by an apology and promises to help her recover.
Medical experts confirmed that the victim’s injuries were consistent with being subjected to an attack involving stones and punches.
Doctors stated that the alleged assault could have potentially caused a brain hemorrhage, although the risk of death was low since the force used was not fatal.
The experts dismissed the defence’s claim that the injuries could have resulted from a fall off the roof of the house where the incident purportedly took place in Güímar.
Initial examinations conducted two days after the incident did not reveal any mention of sexual assault by the victim. However, lesions were discovered on her genitals six days later.
Traces of the convict’s DNA were identified on a rubber ball that the victim used for self-massage, alleging that the perpetrator had inserted it in her vagina.
Analyses of the defendant’s hands indicated evidence of potentially inflicting the injuries on the victim.
While experts could not definitively ascertain the severity of the attack to cause fatal consequences, it was acknowledged that a head hemorrhage could have been a possibility given the nature of the blows sustained.
The defendant is innocent until proven guilty.
