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Spanish Man Jailed for 2018 Rape and Robbery of 73-Year-Old British Tourist in Tenerife

A long-delayed Tenerife trial turned on DNA matched to the accused.

Overview

  • A Tenerife court sentenced the 32-year-old to nine years in prison and ordered €33,500 in payments to the woman’s heirs along with the return of stolen jewellery.
  • Evidence presented in court showed he climbed a 6ft wall, terrorised the 73-year-old for nearly two hours, and forced her to open a small safe holding cash, jewellery and keys.
  • Forensic experts told the court the DNA profile was overwhelmingly likely to be his, and CCTV from the complex helped the victim identify him.
  • Police arrested him in Valencia two months after the attack after a nearby mugging victim described his clothes, which later matched images seen on social media.
  • The woman was treated in a Santa Cruz hospital and died in January 2019 of causes not tied to the assault, and judges noted that further compensation claims remain possible.