Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 14 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has imposed a sentence of 31 years imprisonment—20 of which are to be served in full—on a man of Moroccan nationality who was residing in the country without legal status, for the sexual assault of a woman during Christmas 2022 in a central building in the capital.
The ruling, announced this Friday, states that the 24-year-old, who arrived in the Canary Islands aboard a dinghy via Lanzarote and was living in a migrant reception centre, ambushed the 59-year-old victim while she was attempting to access her workplace at approximately 06:30 in the ‘Olympo building’.
He trailed her through the corridors until she was alone, scaled the electric fence of the premises located on the first floor, and then pounced on her, forcibly pushing her inside while seizing the keys to prevent her escape.
Furthermore, he subjected the victim to a “brutal beating,” as detailed in the ruling, delivering relentless blows with an open hand, punching, forcing her against furniture, grabbing her, restraining her, pulling her hair, kicking her, and even attempting strangulation.
The assault lasted for over ten minutes, with the court noting that the violence employed by the assailant was “savage, cruel and excessive, even in the context of his intent to subjugate the victim to his will for the purpose of a sexual attack.”
Continuously during the sexual assault, he kept striking her and pressed against her neck, obstructing her ability to breathe, rendering her unable to resist any longer due to her fear that he might end her life.
Following the attack, she was held in her office, and despite her attempts to flee, he assaulted her yet again, both physically and sexually, until she finally managed to leave nearly an hour and a half later. Before departing, he stole 30 euros, her keys, and her shoes.
The assailant threatened the woman if she reported the incident, but he was ultimately apprehended by the National Police around 08:30 when he attempted to board a tram back to the reception centre, after the victim, in a state of shock and with severe injuries, had managed to contact her husband and the owner of her company.
It was the security staff of the building who discovered her ten minutes after the attacker had exited.
The victim reported that her recovery from injuries would take six months, although she did not require hospitalisation or present any physical injuries in the genital or anal areas as a result of the assault. However, she did suffer from syphilis and hepatitis, conditions that persisted until May 2023.
The victim, suffering from permanent work disability
As a consequence of these incidents, she now presents with an anxiety-depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress, experiencing episodes of terror, helplessness, dizziness, flashbacks, emotional responses, intense psychological distress, feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, avoidance behaviours, emotional instability, feelings of worthlessness, concentration difficulties, sleep disturbances, sadness, lack of interest in daily activities, somatic symptoms, and adverse impacts across personal, familial, social, and professional domains.
Consequently, she has been officially recognised as having a permanent work disability.
The Provincial Court emphasises the “excessive violence” employed and the “especially humiliating and degrading” conditions during a total of three assaults—at one point, he even compelled the victim to assist him in dressing and attempted to give her a farewell kiss—evidence corroborated by security cameras installed in the building, which captured parts of the attacks.
The ruling dismisses any suggestions of the defendant being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, asserting that there had been an “obvious premeditation” in his assault, demonstrating a “clear control” over the situation.
The court found the man guilty of a continuous crime of sexual assault involving vaginal, anal, and oral penetration, employing violence and intimidation, and additionally sentenced him to another six years for physical and psychological injuries, three years for robbery with violence, and a further two years for making threats.
Moreover, due to civil liability, the man is required to compensate the woman 25,000 euros for the injuries sustained and an additional 50,000 euros for the long-term effects and moral damages.
An appeal against the verdict may be filed with the Civil and Criminal Chamber of the TSJC.
