Three men in Murcia face up to 36 years in prison for sexual assault on 19-year-old sex worker

The hearing was initially scheduled for February 2028, but the provincial court has decided to bring the trial forward. On 30 September this year, the three suspects, A. A., E. M. and A. P., will take the stand and answer for three offences of sexual assault involving penetration.

The incident happened at around 6.30am on 11 February 2012, when the three friends went to the area around the Eroski supermarket, now Carrefour, in Murcia.

According to the prosecution, they met the 19-year-old victim, who was offering sex work services in the area to be able to buy drugs. She got into a red car with the three suspects. She sat in the back seat with A.A., with whom she agreed to have sex in exchange for 20 euros.

Later, E.M. drove to the La Fuensanta area. There, the three friends told the young woman that she had to have sex with all three of them for the same price and forced her "through the use of violence and intimidation" to get out of the car. After undressing her, they reportedly sexually assaulted her one after the other.

At one point, the victim managed to flee, but was caught by E.M., who allegedly threw her to the ground and dragged her by her hair, causing her various injuries and tearing her clothes.

The suspects left the woman on the ground and fled. A man found her and took her to the nearest health centre. According to the prosecutor, the young woman suffered various injuries, including an abrasion to her left side and abrasions to the inner sides of both thighs.

For the prosecution, the facts constitute several offences of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault. Each suspect will be held accountable for one of these crimes as the perpetrator and for two others as an accomplice.

The prosecution is seeking sentences of up to 36 years' imprisonment, 12 for each offence, and a further ten years' probation. Furthermore, it has asked the court to impose a restraining order banning the suspects from approaching or contacting the complainant for ten years. The prosecution has also asked that the court orders them to pay her a joint compensation of 60,000 euros.

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