Former Mayor's Aide Sentenced to Nine Years for Sexual Assault and Drug Offense
The Provincial Court of Almería has handed down a nine-year prison sentence to former Vox spokesperson Arturo Ramón Torres Escamilla, a figure in the Huércal de Almería City Council, for committing two counts of sexual assault against a minor and for providing her with cannabis. This ruling, which was reported by Europa Press, allows for the possibility of an appeal.
In detail, the court imposed a four-year sentence for the continuous sexual assault charge and an additional five years for the separate sexual assault charge. However, the defendant was acquitted of a public health offense that was pursued by the private prosecution.
As part of the sentence, Torres Escamilla has also been issued a 21-year restraining order, preventing any distance or communication with the victim. He will not be allowed to engage in any profession or activity that involves regular and direct contact with minors during this period. Additionally, the verdict requires 18 years of parole and mandates that he pay €25,000 as compensation for moral damages to the victim.
Torres Escamilla served as a spokesperson for his group from 2019 until his resignation in 2021, which came shortly after one of the sexual assaults, leading to the complaints filed against him. His tenure included responsibilities over local law enforcement, reflecting a disturbing overlap between his position and the assault's context.
The court, led by Judge Soledad Jiménez de Cisneros, established that on September 15, 2021, the accused had lured the minor to his farm in Nacimiento. During the car ride, he offered her cannabis, resulting in a state of confusion and dizziness. Once at the farm, the victim, feeling unwell, laid down on a sofa where Torres Escamilla took the opportunity to kiss her and touch her breast under her clothing without her consent.
Further testimony presented at trial revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior by the accused, having assaulted the minor several times since early 2018. He had approached her with sexually explicit intentions and made inappropriate comments about her physical development.
The court deemed the victim’s testimony credible and consistent, noting the absence of any ulterior motives on her part. Testimonies from her boyfriend at the time and psychologists from the Márgenes y Vínculos foundation corroborated her account, confirming she displayed symptoms consistent with trauma from sexual assault.
The court emphasized that the main testimony of the victim was steadfast and corroborated by multiple sources, asserting the reliability of her claims in contrast to the defendant's denials. This verdict is not just a legal consequence for Torres Escamilla but serves as a broader reminder of the importance of believing and supporting victims of sexual assault.
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