Constitutional Court Rejects Final Appeal in La Laguna Attempted Murder Case

A man convicted of the attempted murder of his ex-partner in La Laguna will serve his full 11-year prison sentence after the Constitutional Court rejected his final appeal. The court ruled that the case did not raise the necessary constitutional issues to warrant further review, effectively ending the legal process.

The attack occurred on June 1, 2023, at a senior center in Guamasa, Tenerife. The man entered the building and stabbed his ex-partner in the neck with a 15-centimeter blade after seeing her with another person. The Supreme Court had previously upheld the attempted murder conviction, rejecting the defense's argument that the act should have been classified as a lesser crime of injury.

During the appeals process, the defense argued that the man’s heavy alcohol consumption at the time of the attack should be considered a mitigating factor, claiming it impaired his self-control. They also pointed to a 6,000-euro payment toward the 10,580 euros in civil damages as evidence of his intent to make amends. However, the courts maintained the original conviction, confirming that the man—who has been in custody since the attack—must serve his full sentence.

This final decision highlights the strict approach Spanish courts take toward gender-based violence. The ruling reinforces that substance use is generally not accepted as an excuse when there is clear evidence of an intent to kill. By refusing to hear the appeal, the Constitutional Court has prioritized the victim's safety and the severity of the crime over the defense’s arguments regarding the attacker's personal circumstances.