Santa Cruz Court Acquits Man of 2024 Carnival Sexual Assault Charges

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has acquitted a man accused of sexual assault during the 2024 carnival. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to overcome the defendant’s presumption of innocence, citing significant inconsistencies in the complainant's account.

The judges found the complainant’s testimony lacked the consistency required for a criminal conviction. This conclusion was supported by a psychological report, which noted that while the complainant showed signs of trauma, she also displayed a tendency toward self-pity and potential exaggeration of her emotional state. The court suggested these factors may have distorted her recollection of events.

The case highlights the difficulty of proving sexual assault when incidents occur in private without witnesses. The defendant maintained that the encounter was consensual, claiming the accusation stemmed from a personal conflict after he rejected the woman’s romantic advances. The woman, a former friend of the accused, alleged she was forced into sexual relations.

During the trial, the prosecution had requested a six-year prison sentence and 13,000 euros in compensation, while the private prosecution sought 50,000 euros.

Witnesses confirmed that the two were seen interacting affectionately at the Plaza de España before leaving together. However, because there was no further evidence to clarify what happened in private, the court applied the principle of in dubio pro reo—the legal requirement to resolve reasonable doubt in favor of the defendant. The ruling concluded that the lack of corroborating evidence and the inconsistencies in the complainant's statement made a conviction impossible.