Tenerife Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Persistent Neighbor Harassment

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has set a major legal precedent regarding harassment in the home. The court upheld a one-year prison sentence for a man who systematically harassed his neighbor for 20 months, between June 2020 and February 2022. The ruling stated that his actions went far beyond typical neighborly disputes, severely damaging the victim’s mental health and right to peace.

The court found that the defendant’s behavior was a calculated effort to disrupt the victim’s life. Among the most serious incidents was the use of a drone to hover outside the woman’s bedroom window in the early hours of April 18, 2021, while he shouted threats and sexual comments. He also subjected the woman and her young daughter to extreme noise, including blasting music and car horns late at night and violently banging on shared walls. This persistent abuse caused the victim such severe anxiety that she required psychiatric care and medication.

The defense attempted to overturn the conviction by citing procedural issues, such as the fact that the original judge had to be replaced due to medical leave. However, the court dismissed these claims, confirming that the substitution followed proper legal protocols. The judges also rejected attempts to discredit the victim’s testimony, noting that the medical reports and other evidence provided were sufficient to prove the harassment.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court issued a two-year restraining order, prohibiting the man from contacting the victim. He was also fined 2,000 euros, with further civil damages to be determined later. This ruling reinforces the legal stance that the home is a protected space; when someone persistently violates another person’s privacy and peace, they will face serious criminal consequences.