A court in La Unión sentenced a 34-year-old man to nine years in prison this week for the rape of a 19-year-old woman. The crime occurred in the Los Riscos sector of the Ranco province late last year.
Prosecutors established that the defendant had gained the trust of the victim’s family. According to Chief Prosecutor Leyla Chahin, the man exploited his proximity to the family to commit the assault after attending a social gathering with them.
A breach of trust
Chahin noted that the victim managed to escape her attacker and immediately reported the crime. Her testimony, along with statements from family members, proved vital to the prosecution's case during the three-day oral trial.
"This acclaims our position regarding the need to severely sanction a crime against an adult, taking into account our arguments on the circumstances, the use of excessive force, and, above all, the profound damage caused to the victim's life," Chahin said following the verdict.
The court accepted the prosecution's arguments regarding the gravity of the offense. Prosecutors emphasized that the defendant’s relationship with the family added a layer of betrayal to the violent act.
The sentencing concludes a legal process that relied heavily on witness testimony collected after the victim came forward. The court rejected the defense's arguments, opting for the nine-year term requested by the Public Ministry to account for the physical and psychological harm inflicted upon the young woman.
