13-year-old ends the life of a Colombian in Valladolid; Spanish legislation protects him from prison
Juan Esteban Rubio, an 18-year-old from Colombia, died after being stabbed during a fight near an educational centre. The main defendant is a minor who, under current Spanish law, will not go to prison.
13-year-old ends the life of a Colombian in Valladolid; Spanish legislation protects him from prison
On 20 February, near an educational institution in Valladolid, Spain, an 18-year-old Colombian youth named Juan Esteban Rubio was murdered by stabbing. Police arrested a 13-year-old adolescent as the main person responsible, who was brought before the Juvenile Court and subsequently held at the Zambrana Youth Centre. Along with him, two girls—one aged 17 and another aged 18—were also arrested for their alleged participation.
According to reporting by _El Colombiano_, the confrontation had its origin in a virtual argument that began on Instagram. The victim's parents had attempted to mediate with the aggressor's mother before the situation escalated. According to statements given to the newspaper Valladolid, the exchange between the two young men on the social network was initially verbal: the minor told Juan Esteban that he could not stand him, but claimed that he would not resort to physical violence.
The mother of the deceased said that she had sought help from the authorities and social welfare services, but received a response that seemed insufficient to her: that they could not act until a concrete incident occurred. In the face of the tragedy that unfolded, the victim's father launched a harsh criticism: "Were they waiting for him to commit homicide? He did it. Excellent!"
Amid her grief, the mother defended her son's memory. She described him as an educated and hardworking boy, responsible for the gate at the Rondilla Football Club, loyal to his friends. She also denied rumours linking him to gangs: "My son was not a criminal, he was an honest person who defended his schoolmates," she asserted, adding that he was a young man "affectionate, cheerful and healthy, who never wanted to hurt anyone".
Spanish law establishes that those who have not reached the age of 14 lack criminal responsibility, so the 13-year-old adolescent will not be subjected to an ordinary judicial process. Instead, custody and monitoring measures will be applied. This circumstance outraged Juan Esteban's father, who felt that the crime "is unforgivable and gives the impression that he is being rewarded for killing".
The victim's parents also pointed to the two arrested young women as accomplices, alleging that they immobilised Juan Esteban by holding his arms so that he could not defend himself, whilst inciting the 13-year-old to continue with the attack.
Juan Esteban practised football and boxing, and at the time of his death was studying to join the military.
_Source: El Colombiano_
Source: Google News CO — Crime