Tenerife Grandfather Jailed 14 Years for Sexually Abusing Granddaughters

An 85-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife for sexually abusing his two granddaughters, who were minors at the time. He has also been ordered to pay €60,000 in compensation.

The court found that the man abused the two girls, who are cousins, from when they were 6 and 7 years old until they reached the ages of 14 and 15. He was responsible for their care almost every afternoon because their parents were working.

These events occurred between 2006 and 2015, before the introduction of the "Only Yes Means Yes" law, which defines any sexual act without consent as sexual assault.

According to the court's decision, the man ran a canteen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and a social club on weekends. When the girls' parents went out at night, they would leave them in his care.

The court heard that the man used his position of authority to overcome any resistance from the girls. He would tell them that his actions were normal, and he would also use force.

He would also become angry or pretend to be sad, telling them to keep quiet because they would destroy the family if they spoke out.

In his defense, the man claimed that one of the granddaughters accused him because she wanted money, as her father was bankrupt. He alleged that they had asked him for jewelry belonging to his deceased wife and cash, and also blamed the accusations on the granddaughter having a boyfriend.

The court dismissed these arguments as "lacking evidence and implausible." They noted that the man had limited financial resources and that the granddaughter's relationship had no bearing on the events. She had, in fact, told her mother about the abuse before she had a boyfriend.

The girls required psychological treatment as a result of the abuse. One of them even suffered from alopecia (hair loss) at the age of ten, and both exhibited behavioral changes, including rebelliousness and difficulties with normal sexual relations.

Her cousin also displayed significant changes in behavior, including fits of rage. Her parents took her to a psychiatrist and psychologist, but she did not disclose what was happening, not even to her cousin.

When the parents confronted the accused, he did not offer any explanation or denial, but simply lowered his head. Several witnesses testified that they had always found the man's behavior with the girls to be suspicious.

The defendant was acquitted of two charges of displaying pornographic material, which he had also been accused of by the Prosecutor's Office.