Tenerife Court Acquits Two Men of Sexual Offenses Due to Insufficient Evidence

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has acquitted two men accused of sexual offenses against a minor. The court ruled that the complainant’s testimony was not strong enough to overcome the presumption of innocence, noting significant contradictions between her current account and earlier statements made during the proceedings.

The case centered on events from the night of July 30–31, 2021, during a gathering at a property in La Caleta, La Matanza de Acentejo. Prosecutors had sought prison sentences of nine and six years for the two men, along with compensation payments of 18,000 and 10,000 euros. The defense teams had argued for a full acquittal.

A central issue in the trial was a report from the Specialized Care Service for Victims of Gender-Based Violence. While the report identified symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in the young woman, the court clarified that these documents are not forensic evidence. The judges explained that such services are designed to provide support rather than verify the truthfulness of reported events. Consequently, the report was insufficient to resolve the court’s doubts regarding the consistency of the accusation.

This ruling highlights the challenges courts face when relying on testimonial evidence in the absence of external corroboration. It underscores the legal principle that if there is reasonable doubt, the decision must favor the accused. The court’s resolution also emphasizes the technical distinction between psychological support services and the expert forensic evidence required to secure a criminal conviction, which the court found lacking in this case.