Prosecutors seek 12-year sentence for rape of Irishwoman in Barcelona

Sunday World

a day ago

The journey took a more sinister turn when the taxi driver, instead of taking her to her hotel, drove her to an underground parking lot
A taxi driver who allegedly raped an Irish tourist in Barcelona is facing 12 years in prison, if convicted.
The Prosecutor's Office demanded the 12-year prison sentence for the accused, in addition to compensation of 20,000 for 'moral damages suffered by the victim'.
In evidence given at the trial held in the Barcelona Court, the Irish tourist described the details of the alleged attack that occurred in September 2023.
The victim, who testified via videoconference and was assisted by a translator, explained that she got into a taxi very close to the Irish pub where she had been drinking, at the intersection of Sicilia and Mallorca streets, on September 1.
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During the drive to her hotel, the driver began asking her personal questions, such as whether she had a boyfriend, according to one report in Spanish media.
'The victim said that, although the taxi driver took advantage (by stopping at) red lights to touch her legs and kiss her, she did not give much importance to his actions because of her drunken state,' one report by 20Minutos reads.
The journey took a more sinister turn when the taxi driver, instead of taking her to her hotel, drove her to an underground parking lot.
"I was in an underground parking lot, I didn't know where I was, my phone wasn't working,' she said in evidence.
The woman claims the taxi driver got out, opened the back door where she was sitting, pulled down her pants and underwear, and raped her: "I was saying 'no,' to stop, and I was crying a lot,' she said.
The victim recounted that she could not call for help as her mobile phone had stopped working.
After the attack, the sobbing victim asked the driver to take her back to her hotel, which he agreed to.
However, it was only when the woman arrived at the hotel and was greeted by the receptionist, 'who noticed her emotional disturbance', that the police were notified.
'Upon arriving at the scene, officers were able to gather more details about the case and began the corresponding investigation,' 20 Minutos reports.
The Prosecutor's Office has demanded that the accused taxi driver face 12 years in prison for sexual assault with penetration, with the aggravating factor of 'taking advantage of the circumstances of the time and place to commit the crime'.
In addition, the prosecution is requesting that if convicted, he also serve nine years of supervised release after prison.
There are also calls for him to be specifically barred from working as a taxi driver or passenger vehicle driver for the duration of his sentence.
He is also required to be banned from approaching or communicating with the victim for eight years.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Prosecutor's Office is requesting that the defendant compensate the victim with €20,000 for the moral damages caused by the assault.