The Lleida Court has tried this Tuesday a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old young woman in a van in Lleida on November 18, 2023. The Prosecutor's Office maintains a request for almost 25 years in prison for him, while the accused has declared himself innocent and his defense has requested acquittal.
The trial has revolved around a central contradiction. The young woman stated by videoconference that the accused forced her to get into the vehicle when she was leaving a nightclub, took her to the outskirts of the city, insulted her, hit her, and attempted to sexually assault her, but in the hearing she denied that there was penetration, contrary to her initial statement.
The victim placed the start of the case at the exit of a nightclub
According to her account before the court, two men forced her to get into the van when she was leaving the establishment. The young woman added that the second companion asked to stop the vehicle and left shortly after.
From then on, the complainant stated that the accused continued alone with her to the outskirts of Lleida. On that journey, always according to her statement, he insulted her, hit her, and attempted to sexually assault her.
During the hearing, the prosecution maintained the request for almost 25 years in prison for the events of November 18, 2023. The accused rejected this version and maintained that he is innocent.
Experts and defense focused the debate on the changes in testimony
Forensic and psychological experts explained that the interview with the young woman was complex due to her personality. They also indicated that the account closest in time to the events usually offers greater reliability.
In this line, they attributed the change in version to a possible evasion of trauma or a personality disorder. The courtroom debate thus focused on the scope of these contradictions and how they should be evaluated along with the rest of the evidence.
The defense tried to take advantage of these differences to sow doubt about the consistency of the testimony. It also highlighted the absence of a complete medical examination and conclusive injuries.
Furthermore, the defense lawyer mentioned that the young woman had recently been released from prison due to an investigation for negligent homicide of her baby. The defense's final request was for the acquittal of the accused.
The trial was concluded for sentencing this Tuesday in the Lleida Court.