Andalucía’s High Court upholds five-year prison sentence for Antequera man who abused stepdaughter

The High Court of Justice of Andalucía (TSJA) has sentenced a man to five years in prison for sexually abusing his stepdaughter from the time she was 14.

Between 2019 and 2021, the defendant, who had a relationship with the girl's mother, made various sexual advances. This led to a deterioration of the victim's mental health. According to the investigation, the girl self-harmed on several occasions and once ingested several psychotropic drugs, which led to her admission to a mental health unit.

The abuse would take place at their shared home in the town of Antequera. The defendant would take advantage of the times they were alone to stalk the girl while she was in the shower or lying down. He would also kiss and touch her and use foul language.

The last episode, as per the court document, occurred in the early hours of 1 July 2021, when the man returned from a bar and took the girl to a park, where he began to touch her breasts under her shirt. He told her not to tell her mother.

According to the victim's account, her stepfather tried to convince her that his behaviour was normal. The court considers it proven that these events caused enormous moral and psychological damage to the minor.

The TSJA has declared the girl's account credible, stating that her inability to point to specific dates and places where the abuse happened should not be a reason to doubt her sincerity as a victim who was undergoing consistent sexual violence.

The TSJA has therefore dismissed the defendant's appeal and upheld the first instance sentence of five years in prison. The sentence also includes a restraining and solitary confinement order in relation to the victim for the same period and compensation of 40,000 euros for moral damages.