Malaga prosecution requests ten years in prison for man who sexually assaulted his sister-in-law
The defendant allegedly abused María on four occasions and threatened to kick her and her daughter out of the house if she reported him
The public prosecution has requested a ten-year prison sentence for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted his sister-in-law on several occasions in 2022. The trial is going to take place on 13 May this year.
SUR spoke to the 30-year-old victim, who prefers to remain anonymous. For the purpose of this article, we will call her María. Originally from Colombia, she moved to Malaga in 2022. Her husband's brother had convinced them to move for the opportunities that Spain offers, so María settled with her partner and daughter in the province.
With tears and rage in her eyes, María told SUR that her brother-in-law started abusing her after their arrival. Although she told her husband, things didn't change much. Far from showing remorse, the suspect sent her husband an audio message proposing to "make her disappear".
According to the prosecution, the first incident happened in August 2022, when the defendant allegedly touched María in the kitchen of the house they shared, taking advantage of the fact that the rest of the family was asleep. María then managed to push him away and he left.
Two months later, however, the defendant took María by the arm and dragged her to one of the bedrooms where he sexually assaulted her. There was nobody in the house at that moment.
Despite María's resistance and consistent denial of consent, he reportedly abused her on three more occasions.
María reported him to the police on 2 December 2022. She hadn't done it until then because her abuser had threatened to kick her and her daughter out of the house. María didn't have the financial capacity to leave and pay rent at the time.
For the prosecutor, the incidents constitute a continuous crime of sexual assault, for which they are requesting a ten-year prison sentence and a restraining order. In addition, they are asking that the defendant compensate María 3,000 euros.
María is one of the women who spoke to SUR on 25 November 2025 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), after her ex-partner breached a restraining order.
A lawyer from the 'Mujeres Sin Miedo Málaga' association will represent María during the trial. The platform provides both protection and legal assistance. Victims can contact the platform mostly through Facebook, Instagram (@mujeres_sin_miedo_malaga) and email (mujeressinmiedomalaga@gmail.com). "We want everyone to know that there are always ways to regain peace of mind and wellbeing," the association says.
Victims, their family members and witnesses who want to report gender-based violence can do so by contacting the 061 helpline, which is available 24 hours a day in 52 different languages. The call is free and does not appear on the phone bill. Incidents can also be reported by emailing 016-online@igualdad.gob.es.
Alternatively, there is also the WhatsApp chat at 600000016. In an emergency, the National Police (091), the Local Police (092) and the Guardia Civil (062) provide immediate assistance.
If someone is unable to make a call, they can use the ALERTCOPS app, which sends a geolocation alert to the police.
