The Audiència de Lleida will judge in the coming months a man accused of committing two sexual assaults in the city in less than two months. The court is keeping the detainee in provisional prison after a hearing held this Wednesday.
The Public Prosecutor's Office and the private prosecution argued the flight risk to maintain the imprisonment. The defense requested release with alternative precautionary measures, a request that was dismissed by the investigating magistrate.
The first victim was held for hours under a bridge
The events of the first case occurred on January 7, 2024. The assault took place in a tent located under a bridge near the Segre river canalization. The accused and the woman knew each other by sight because they both shared a state of homelessness.
According to the judicial investigation, the man invited the victim to his makeshift shelter. Once inside, he violently beat her and held her for several hours before sexually assaulting her. The Prosecutor's Office is seeking a 12-year prison sentence for this crime.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the public prosecutor claims a restraining order of 500 meters and a prohibition of communicating with the victim. He also demands compensation of 10,000 euros for the moral and physical damages caused.
"The trial for the first case is scheduled for October 7" - Audiència de Lleida
A second assault in an abandoned factory
The criminal chronology repeated itself a few weeks later. On February 29, 2024, the same individual committed a second sexual assault inside an abandoned factory in Lleida. On this occasion, the initial dynamic was different.
The victim initially agreed to have sexual relations in exchange for money. However, the accused acted with violence when she withdrew her consent. He ignored the woman's subsequent refusal and consummated the assault.
This second criminal proceeding does not yet have a date set for its celebration. Investigations remain open to determine all criminal responsibilities arising from both episodes.
Police authorities located and arrested the alleged perpetrator at the end of May. The arrest took place on a farm located in Flix, in the region of Ribera d'Ebre. Since then, the accused remains admitted to the penitentiary center.