Malaga court sentences teenager for breaking classmate's nose during break-time fight

The incident occurred at 11.45am on 31 October 2024 during a morning break. Court documents show that the two students engaged in a physical altercation, during which the boy struck the girl in the face with his knee. The victim suffered a fractured nose, head contusions, a haematoma, and facial abrasions.

The injuries required extensive medical treatment, taking 30 days to heal and forcing the girl to miss nine days of school. A teacher who intervened to break up the fight was also injured, though judges could not establish which student caused those specific injuries.

An initial juvenile court ruling on 2 September 2025 sentenced the boy to one year of socio-educational work and ordered him and his parents to pay €1,763.46 in compensation to the victim. The court also held the school and the Regional Government of Andalucía jointly liable for 50 per cent of that sum (€881.73).

The boy’s defence team appealed against the civil liability ruling, requesting a 50 per cent reduction in compensation. They argued the victim had initiated the confrontation by walking across the school yard to start an argument, thereby voluntarily entering a mutually agreed fight.

However, the Provincial Court dismissed the appeal, drawing a clear distinction between agreeing to an argument and contributing to the physical injury inflicted. The magistrate panel ruled that while both pupils engaged in a scuffle, each participant remains accountable for the severity of the harm they cause.

Because the girl did not contribute to receiving a knee strike to the face and the boy suffered no injuries himself, the court confirmed his full civil liability and upheld the original sentence.

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