The Third Section of the Provincial Court of Córdoba has imposed a 20-year prison sentence on each of the two main defendants for the murder of Rafalín, which took place in April 2024 at his home on Reina Mercedes street, in the Sagunto neighborhood. The judicial resolution, announced this Thursday, follows the guilty verdict issued by the jury last Friday, June 12.
According to the proven facts, the two convicted individuals and the woman, who acted as an accomplice, met the victim at a soup kitchen, establishing a relationship of trust that allowed them to reside in his home. In early April, the two men allegedly forcibly took Rafalín to a bedroom, where they repeatedly beat him with punches and kicks to the body and face. Later, one of them used an iron bar to strike him on the head and body, and between them, they suffocated him with a bathrobe belt, with the sentence confirming the presence of treachery (alevosía).
The woman, the sentimental partner of one of the assailants, was sentenced to eight years in prison for complicity. During the assault, she kept the music volume high to prevent neighbors from alerting authorities and feigned normalcy when they approached. After ensuring they would not be discovered, the three defendants stole valuables from the victim, including gold chains, sports shoes, a mobile phone, and keys, valued at 193 euros. One of the convicted individuals later returned to take a television valued at 200 euros.
The judge rejected the mitigating circumstances of "sudden passion or obsession" and "confession" presented by the defense. In the case of one of the defendants, the "toxiphrenia" mitigating circumstance was dismissed, as expert reports ruled out that the consumption of cocaine and cannabis affected his volitional and intellectual capacity.
In addition to the prison sentences, the ruling imposes 10 years of supervised release for the two main defendants and eight years for the accomplice. They are also ordered to pay a fine of two months at a rate of six euros per day for theft. One of the defendants receives an additional two years in prison for aggravated theft with the use of false keys.
In terms of civil liability, the two convicted of murder with treachery must jointly compensate Rafalín's family: 74,129 euros for his daughter, 49,419 euros for his mother, and 22,238 euros for each of his three brothers.
