“I have children”, “a pacemaker”, “I am retired”, these are some of the arguments of those accused of sexually exploiting minors in Murcia to escape prison. None of the pedophiles cited on Monday, when it was decided whether the sentences would be suspended, will go to prison.
This first day, four businessmen, a taxi driver and two pimps, were identified. Two of the accused were unable to attend the summons and will therefore have to appear tomorrow, Tuesday. In general, it was decisive that for these defendants the sentences did not total two years, since they were reduced by two degrees due to the mitigating circumstance of excessive delays.
The judge recalled that the victims had been questioned about their desire to see the accused go to prison. According to the magistrate, there was a division among the victims between those who opted for compliance with the sentences and to “turn the page”, as quoted by the magistrate, who was part of the Tribunal with two other magistrates.
Stroke, heart surgery and running multiple businesses
Juan Castejón Ardid (74), former vice-president of the Employers’ Association of Cartagena and Murcia, had his sentence suspended. The court argued that his sentence did not total two years. He has been banned from communicating with his five victims for four years. And behavioral rehabilitation therapy regarding sexuality was imposed on him. To avoid any punishment, Castejón resorted to a stroke and heart surgery, in addition to a pacemaker. He also insisted that he ran several businesses.
The former vice-president of the COEC and CROEM has a greater number of offenses, five in total, with sentences of five months in prison for each of them (two years and one month in total), a fine of 3 600 euros and payment of compensation to the victims, which amounts to 10,000 euros for moral damage, in addition to one year of supervised release.
Castejón’s lawyer, José María Caballero, influenced the agreement reached on September 11 with the prosecution. He recalled “that at the time of the agreement there was a consensus for the suspension” and pointed to the media pressure. “A punitive populism,” he defined. Judicial sources reiterated throughout the trial to this newspaper that whether or not the sentences are suspended is at the discretion of the court and that they were not part of the agreement.
The defense lawyer acknowledged that there are proven facts “of some seriousness”, although he said their recognition is “a practical question” regarding the agreement. Gentleman argued that “this gentleman [Castejón] With the recognition of the facts, the administration of justice avoided a procedure with several sessions. “Now is not the time to discuss whether there was a minor vulnerability or whether they just wanted an iPhone.”
“Criminal Guilt”
The lieutenant prosecutor, Francisco Sánchez Lucerga, opposed the suspension of the sentence and announced his appeal. He had requested five years in prison for all the crimes committed, “they deserve criminal reprehensibility”. He defended that suspension is “a power of the court and not a right of the inmate.” He maintained that “if Mr. Castejón admitted the facts, he did so freely. The principle of innocence is broken, there is guilt.” “It is not acceptable that the events of 2014 are judged in 2024, but it is not fair, especially for the victims. If for the accused, as the defense says, it has been a journey through the desert, put yourself in the victims’ shoes. “Ten years without legal satisfaction.”
José JA (68), another businessman, will not go to prison. He cannot commit a crime for two years and is prohibited from communicating with the victim. Like Castejón, he must follow a behavioral rehabilitation program on sexuality and will not be able to approach less than 500 meters from the victim. He was initially sentenced for the offense of prostitution of minors, to a total of 5 months in prison, a fine of 540 euros and the payment of compensation of 1,000 euros.
His lawyer criticized the work of the prosecution, “quite deficient, which he now wishes to correct”. There was no opposition from the prosecution to suspend the sentence, since he was found guilty of a crime. “I am a normal person, retired, they put me in this story without eating or drinking anything,” defended José JA, asking for his sentence to be suspended.
José AAL, (70 years old), also a businessman, whose sentence is also suspended. He will not be able to commit a crime for two years, he will be prohibited from communicating with the victim and he will have to follow a behavioral rehabilitation program on sexuality. He was sentenced for the offense of prostitution of minors, to a total of 5 months in prison, a fine of 3,600 euros and the payment of compensation of 1,000 euros.
“There are moments in life that shouldn’t happen.”
Antonio GP (81 years old), businessman, will not go to prison either. He will not be able to commit a crime for two years and he is prohibited from communicating with the victim, he must follow a behavioral rehabilitation program on sexuality. He was sentenced for two offenses of prostitution of minors, to a total of 10 months in prison, a fine of 1,200 euros and 3,600 euros in compensation. Plus a year of probation. “I am 81 years old, I am diabetic, my wife suffers from Alzheimer’s. In life, there are moments that should not happen,” he said, defending the suspension of the sentence.
Martín DT, one of the “taxi drivers”, whom the prosecutor wants to incarcerate and who has already announced that he will appeal, was given a suspended sentence. He was sentenced for the offense of prostitution of minors who were members of an organization, to a total of two years in prison, a fine of 540 euros and the payment of compensation of 1,000 euros for moral damage. “If he wanted to protect the victims, he should not have modified the civil liability,” his lawyer criticizes him. The prosecution opposed the suspension of the sentence and appealed.
Next Wednesday it will be decided whether Ruth Karina D., one of the pimps, will go to prison with a maximum sentence of 6 years. He initially faced a sentence of 16 years combined for eight offenses of prostitution of minors with membership in an organization. He was sentenced to two years in prison for each of them, a fine of 4,320 euros and the payment of compensation of 8,000 euros for moral damage. In addition to five years of supervised release.
Demonstration during viewing
During the preview of the suspended sentence, dozens of people demonstrated in front of the doors of the Provincial Court shouting “rapist”, “disgusting” and “dirty old man”. Since the announcement of the compliance agreement, three mass protests have been called. At the last rally, this case was presented as a “clear example of institutionalized impunity”, while the agreement reached between the prosecution and the lawyers of the convicts was called into question. They consider that this decision reveals “a failure of the system that has occurred too many times in the Provincial Court of Murcia”.
