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British man acquitted of raping UK tourist in Benidorm hotel
An Alicante judge found the woman’s testimony to be “contradictory and confusing”
A 53-year-old British man has been acquitted by the Alicante Provincial Court of charges of sexually assaulting a fellow Brit in a Benidorm hotel room last year.
The court acknowledged that the two did engage in sexual activity, but found insufficient evidence to prove it was non-consensual. The ruling highlighted “ambiguities and contradictions” in the woman’s account of the events.
The man, represented by lawyer Jorge Martínez Navas, had faced serious charges, with the prosecutors seeking an eight-year prison sentence for sexual assault, along with a fine of 720 euros for a minor injury offense.
A judge heard that the incident took place on the night of July 7, 2023. The pair reportedly met at the hotel bar and spent the evening drinking together before the woman invited her new companion up to her room at around 11pm.
Once there, they engaged in consensual kissing and caressing, eventually leading to sexual relations. The court noted that the woman did not express any objection during the encounter.
Afterwards, they both got dressed and the man returned to his room while the woman went to the hotel reception to complain about her broken air conditioning unit. It wasn’t until two days later that she filed a sexual assault complaint with police.
Officers accompanied her to the hospital for an examination, and doctors did find that she had significant bruising and haematomas. It was also reported that the British woman was taking medication for depression and that she had a blood alcohol level of 1.96 grams per litre on the day she made the complaint.
Ultimately, the judge felt that the alleged victim was “contradictory and confusing in her explanations” during the trial. One of the main things that counted against the complainant was her statement that she was left terrified in her hotel room after the alleged rape, when the receptionist confirmed that she had come downstairs moments after.
Given these inconsistencies, the court ruled in favour of the accused, leading to his acquittal.
Image: Zarateman via Wikimedia Commons
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