The city of Torrevieja in Alicante has been shaken in recent weeks by a case of extreme violence against a pet which has ended with an unusual judicial decision: the expulsion of the aggressor from Spain. The incident, which occurred at the end of April in the middle of the street, has reopened the debate on the criminal response to animal abuse and its relationship to gender violence.
The protagonist of the case is a man of Colombian origin who, according to witness accounts and the authorities themselves, He beat his ex-partner's cat to death In the San Roque neighborhood, before the astonished eyes of the residents. The brutality of the attack, recorded by several cell phones and later shared on social media, generated a wave of outrage that has transcended the local area and reignited demands for harsher penalties.
A brutal attack in the middle of Jacarilla Street
The events took place in the Jacarilla Street, in the San Roque neighborhoodAt the end of April, according to several witnesses, the man grabbed the cat, named Nala, and threw her against a wall with such force that the animal was completely disoriented. Far from stopping, the aggressor continued attacking her in front of passersby.
Several accounts agree that, after crashing the animal against the wall, He began to kick him repeatedly. while the cat lay defenseless on the ground. He then took a stick—described in some reports as a kind of broom handle—and struck the feline on the head. more than twenty blowsuntil she was completely inert on the sidewalk.
Nala's body lay in the middle of the road, surrounded by a pool of bloodThe scene, according to neighbors, was unbearable for many of those present. Several witnesses recorded the incident and, while confronting the aggressor, alerted the local police and the Civil Guard so they could arrive as soon as possible.
In the recordings, which quickly went viral, the agents can be seen. They have to subdue the man right there in the street. while he was still trying to beat the already lifeless animal. The graphic nature of the images sparked a wave of outrage on social media and led numerous users to call for effective prison sentences for this type of behavior.
Arrest and investigation for animal abuse and vicarious violence
Several fire crews were dispatched to the scene Torrevieja Local Policewho proceeded to arrest the suspect at the scene of the assault. The man was subsequently handed over to the Civil Guard, who opened an investigation into the incident. alleged crime of animal abuse with cruelty and another of gender violence in its vicarious violence form.
The indirect victim, the aggressor's ex-partner and owner of the cat, filed a complaint, as did others. various animal protection associations who appeared in the case. Vicarious violence through animals is recognized as a form of abuse within the framework of gender violence, since the aggressor uses the suffering or death of a pet to emotionally harm their partner or ex-partner.
In this case, animal rights organizations have emphasized that the accused He chose one of the woman's pet cats. precisely to inflict the greatest possible psychological pain on him, by attacking a being with whom he had strong emotional bondThe prosecution alleges that this was an act of revenge directed at the ex-partner, carried out through cruelty inflicted on the animal.
Following his arrest, the man was brought before a judge and, initially, He was eventually released on chargesThis caused deep unrest among both neighbors and animal rights groups. Since then, the criminal investigation has progressed, culminating in the ruling that has now garnered national attention: the expulsion from Spanish territory.
A legal process divided into two hearings
The procedure has been structured in several phases. First, the case reached the Court for Violence Against Women in Torreviejawhere a summary trial was held in which the possibility of a plea bargain was raised. In that first hearing, the defendant refused to admit the facts as proposed and did not accept the agreement proposed by the parties.
Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Criminal section of the Court of First Instance of Orihuela based in TorreviejaThe judge of Criminal Court Number 4 assumed jurisdiction over the prosecution of the crimes of animal abuse with cruelty and vicarious violence. It was in this second hearing that the defense and the prosecution finally reached an agreement.
During the session, the accused, a native of Cali (Colombia) and whose administrative status in Spain It was not regularized —who was in the process of obtaining a travel ban—, he eventually admitted to the facts described in the proceedings. Faced with the prospect of a prison sentence, he chose to accept the alternative allowed by law: expulsion from the country as a substitute for imprisonment.
The resolution contemplates a one year prison sentence for aggravated animal abuseThe sentence was replaced by a deportation order. The defendant himself expressed his agreement with this measure to the judge, which entails his immediate deportation to Colombia and a five-year ban on his return.
Several local media outlets have identified the attacker as Andrés Camilo Candelo PinoAlthough the court ruling has avoided focusing on his nationality and has concentrated on the seriousness of the events and on the protection of the victim, both the woman and the deceased animal.
Expulsion of Spain and a veto throughout the European Union
The court ruling establishes the immediate expulsion of the convicted person He was sentenced to his country of origin, Colombia, as an alternative to imprisonment. For five years he will not be able to reside in Spain or regularize his immigration status, as the criminal record stemming from this case will remain in effect for an extended period.
Furthermore, the court order stipulates that, during that same period, He will not be allowed to enter any country in the European UnionIn practice, this amounts to a ban on access to the Schengen area, so any attempt to enter a member state could result in deportation or further legal consequences.
The expulsion will be carried out in a immediately following the resolutionUntil the transfer takes place, the man will be admitted to a foreigners' detention center (CIE), where he will remain detained while the necessary administrative and police procedures for his deportation are completed.
Specialized lawyers explain that replacing prison sentences with deportation is a tool provided for in the regulations for undocumented immigrants, and that in this case it has been applied considering both the conviction for animal abuse and the context of vicarious violence. They point out that it is a path that prevents their stay in Spanish territory and seeks to prevent further episodes of violence.
A resolution that is perceived as exemplary
The private prosecution has been represented by the Loyal AssociationThe lawyer for the defendant, Mari Carmen Luque, had initially requested a significantly longer prison sentence. After the outcome of the proceedings was announced, the lawyer praised the court's decision as an "exemplary" ruling and, in her words, "unprecedented" in the city.
Luque emphasizes that the resolution represents a turning point in the judicial response Regarding animal abuse, the ruling highlights that such behavior is no longer perceived as minor incidents without serious consequences. "It has always been thought that nothing would happen if you killed an animal," she noted, emphasizing that the sentence sends the message that anyone who harms an animal in Spain faces a crime with real repercussions.
The jurist also stressed that expulsion should not be interpreted as a punishment based on the origin of the convicted person, but as the application of a legal mechanism intended for people without regular administrative status who have been found guilty of serious crimes. "The law provides for expulsion for animal abuse offenses," she noted, emphasizing that the measure is equally applicable regardless of the perpetrator's nationality.
For the Leal Association and the other groups involved, the importance of this ruling goes beyond Nala's specific case: they understand that opens the door to similar future resolutions when similar circumstances arise, and they trust that it can serve as a reference for judges and prosecutors when assessing animal protection and the impact of vicarious violence.
Social reaction: demonstrations and citizen pressure
Since the events became known, the social reaction has been intense. The Animalist Party PACMA, as well as groups such as Proyecto CES Gatos Torrevieja and the Somos la Voz de los Gatos AssociationThey publicly denounced the attack and launched appeals to gather videos and testimonies to support the accusation in court.
The Torrevieja City Council, through the Department of Animal ProtectionThe city council issued a statement strongly condemning the incident, calling it "sad and despicable." The council expressed its dismay and reiterated its commitment to animal welfare, joining the growing wave of public outrage both on the streets and online.
The citizens' response materialized in a massive gathering on Clavel Street —near the defendant's residence—, where hundreds of people gathered to demand "Justice for Nala." This mobilization was described as unprecedented in the town in terms of the number of attendees and media coverage, with the presence of numerous animal rights and neighborhood groups.
For more than an hour, the participants chanted slogans such as "animals feel," "justice for Nala," and "to jail," and directed their criticism directly at the perpetrator, whom some called a "murderer" and "coward." Many protesters carried signs The image of the aggressor was displayed, and he was even identified by his first and last name, reflecting the level of outrage that the case had generated.
The protest, authorized by the Government Sub-delegation, had a reinforced security detail. Local police and the Civil Guard set up a police cordon. around the courthouse and the area of ​​the gathering to avoid incidents, especially on the day the final criminal hearing was held at the Torrevieja Courthouse.
The role of social media and the demand for harsher penalties
Social media has been a key element in publicizing the case. From the moment the first recordings of the attack circulated, Hundreds of users shared the images They left messages of support for Nala's owner, while demanding stronger punishments for those responsible for animal abuse.
Sunday's protest in Torrevieja was largely organized through digital platforms, where calls to action were disseminated, posters were shared, and people were encouraged to attend the rally. Many of the messages circulating through these channels emphasized the need to end the feeling of impunity and to move towards a greater legal protection for animals.
PACMA and other organizations have once again expressly demanded a reform of the Penal Code to increase prison sentences associated with animal abuse, so that they are truly dissuasive, and to propose complementary measures such as keeping cat colonies under controlThey believe that current sanctions remain "laughable" in many cases and do not reflect the social rejection that these behaviors provoke.
The groups also point out that this case illustrates how pet abuse is not an isolated phenomenon, but rather that it sometimes It is part of a pattern of controlling violence and punishment within the couple or ex-couple. Therefore, they insist that the legal response must consider the protection of both the animal and the people who share their lives with it.
In various publications and statements, the associations have expressed their gratitude for the community's involvement and the work of those who, despite the emotional impact of the scene, They decided to record what happened and submit that evidence. to the authorities, thus facilitating the investigation and subsequent prosecution in court.
This case has left the impression in Torrevieja and beyond that Spanish society she is not willing to overlook Episodes of extreme violence against animals, and when they intersect with contexts of gender-based violence, make the demand for a firm response even greater. The expulsion of the aggressor, coupled with widespread public mobilization and media coverage, paints a picture in which animal abuse is no longer seen as a minor issue but has become central to the legal and social debate.