Spain courts issue major sentences for gender violence cases

Several high-profile criminal cases involving gender-based violence and domestic abuse have resulted in significant sentences in Spain.

In Vigo, the Audiencia Provincial de Pontevedra sentenced Borja Rial to 16 years and 11 months in prison for the attempted murder of his former partner. The court found that Rial attacked the woman, doused her in gasoline, and set her on fire in an attempt to kill her. He was also ordered to pay over 838,000 euros in compensation and is prohibited from contacting the victim for 31 years.

In Manresa, a man accepted a 26-year prison sentence for the 2023 murder of his pregnant partner. The defendant admitted to striking the victim and subsequently suffocating her. The sentence includes 20 years for murder and 6 years for abortion, alongside a requirement to pay 350,000 euros to the victim's family.

Other notable rulings include a 6-year sentence in Bizkaia for a woman who attempted to kill her partner by administering diazepam in food and attempting to suffocate him. Additionally, prosecutors in Palma are seeking 30 years of imprisonment for a man accused of systematic physical, sexual, and psychological abuse against his partner in 2020.