The prosecution requested sentences of up to 54 years in prison against the five members of the Castelldefels “pack”. As La Vanguardia argues, the public prosecutor considers that the WhatsApp group in which the young people exchanged messages and “made fun of the victims” was not a simple channel of communication between friends and accuses them of “a crime of belonging.” to a group.” criminal group for the commission of crimes against sexual compensation.
In its letter, the prosecution accuses them of one criminal group offense, another of sexual assault with penetration, two of continuous sexual assault with penetration and one of discovery and disclosure of secrets. For the victims, she asks for between 50,000 and 89,000 euros in compensation.
Even though the document indicates that all those interviewed belong to a criminal group, the length of the sentences requested varies from one defendant to another. The lightest request is 28 years in prison (for two defendants) and the most severe is 53 years. The other two investigated face sentences of 42 and 45 years.
The document states that those investigated did not choose the victims at random, but rather were people who “due to medical or personal circumstances had low self-esteem.” Likewise, he points out that in many cases, those surveyed knew that these people were taking medication and that providing them with alcohol could reduce their cognitive abilities.
The public prosecutor also points out that the accused would have contacted the young women during the pandemic through social networks and would have offered them to participate in a party in a house. Although the victims admitted to attending the meetings willingly and agreeing to have sex with one of the people investigated, the letter makes clear that the girls did not imagine it would be group sessions and that they would be subjected to unwanted sexual practices.
In this sense, it indicates that the members of the group “came with the knowledge and the will to attack the sexual identity of young women, creating a climate of submission in the building which reduced and even canceled the capacity of reaction of these.” hurt. »
In the document, the prosecutor describes the episodes in detail and recounts how the victims were successively penetrated “anally, vaginally and orally” and without using a condom. It also indicates that the accused allegedly inserted objects into the girls’ bodies, such as a beer bottle. In all cases, the public prosecutor speaks of a “lack of capacity to react” on the part of the victims and refers to the “panic” situations they experienced.
The five defendants, who have no criminal record, have been in pre-trial detention without bail since December 21, 2022.
