Catalonia court upholds 21-year sentence in Manresa sexual assault case

Catalonia's High Court has upheld a 21-year prison sentence against a man convicted of sexually assaulting a disabled woman and recording encounters in Manresa. The court rejected his appeal in full.

The offences took place during the summer of 2023. Barcelona's provincial court convicted the man in June after finding that he used false WhatsApp identities and a fictitious massage academy to deceive the victim.

Sentence and restrictions confirmed

The total prison term comprises 16 years for continued sexual assault with penetration and exploitation of the victim's mental condition, plus five years for a pornography offence involving abuse of a relationship of trust.

The ruling also bars the man from approaching or contacting the victim for 10 years after his release. He must serve eight years under supervised release and is prohibited for 15 years from work or activities involving direct contact with minors.

The court maintained an award of €60,000 for the moral harm caused to the victim. It also confirmed a mitigating factor for reparation because the man paid €25,000 before the trial.

Appeal rejected in full

The defence argued that the presumption of innocence had been breached because too much weight was placed on the victim's account. It also said the earlier court had not properly considered a claimed lack of awareness that the conduct was unlawful or a possible psychological impairment.

The TSJC dismissed those arguments and confirmed every part of the sentence imposed by Section Three of the Audiencia de Barcelona.

The judgment found that the man created false profiles in two WhatsApp chats, posed as figures linked to an invented academy in Manresa and fabricated other participants. The scheme was used to manipulate the victim, who had a diagnosed disability, and some encounters were recorded.

The man was arrested on 11 August 2023 and spent several months in pre-trial detention before his conviction. The case concerns violence against a woman; specialist support is available for victims of violence against women.

Source: Consejo General del Poder Judicial.