A man faces 15 years in prison for raping a minor with autism in Vilanova i la Geltrú

BarcelonaA 47-year-old man faces 15 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Vilanova i la Geltrú. The man was aware he had HIV and Hepatitis C and that he could transmit them to the girl, and at trial he asked to be acquitted, stating he believed the victim was "at least" 18 years old. The minor committed suicide eight months after the rape, and her statement, recorded while the case was being investigated, was used as evidence at trial. The prosecution pointed to her vulnerable victim status due to an autism spectrum disorder as an aggravating factor.

The Barcelona Court of Appeal tried the case this Friday, which has now concluded and is awaiting sentencing. It all happened on an evening in July 2024. According to the girl, she had gone out for a walk and approached a group playing guitars in the Parc de Baix-a-mar in the capital of Garraf because she liked the instrument. There, the accused offered her beer and marijuana and led her away from the rest of the group to another square, took her to a secluded spot, and sexually assaulted her.

The minor's mother also testified at the trial. That night, seeing that her daughter was not returning home at the agreed time, she went to look for her using her mobile phone's geolocation and found her with the man, who was holding her hand. At that moment, the woman warned the accused that the girl was only 13 years old and, according to the mother, the rest of the group of people playing guitars said they were "astonished" when they learned her age. In fact, the accused justified himself by saying that the relationship was consensual and that he believed the girl was "at least 18 years old."

Second assault on the same day

Mother and daughter returned home and a few hours later, at dawn and when the mother thought the girl was asleep, the minor went out into the street again and the man assaulted her again. In this case, some of the accused's colleagues saw him touching the girl and alerted the Mossos d'Esquadra. The mother recalled that at dawn she went out into the street again to look for her daughter and that on the way a relative called her to tell her that the police had found her in a state of shock and asking for help because she was being assaulted.

Psychologists and psychiatrists who attended the minor also gave their testimony. They explained that after these assaults she became destabilized to the point that she had to be admitted to a care center, where she finally committed suicide in March 2025.