Moroccan Man Expelled from Spain for Imprisoning Partner in Abandoned Sawmill

The Moroccan was first sentenced to five years in prison by the provincial court of Navarre, which then replaced this sentence with expulsion. The convicted person will not be able to return to Spain for 10 years, nor approach or communicate with the victim for 8 years. The Moroccan and the latter had been living as a couple for four years, according to the sentence.

For unknown reasons, the defendant locked up his partner on February 24 in the disused sawmill where they were residing. He put a chain and a padlock on the entrance door to prevent her from fleeing. The public prosecutor requested 11 months in prison against him for a crime of habitual ill-treatment and 5 years for a crime of sequestration. He then requested the expulsion of the Moroccan, in replacement of this last sentence. The defense, for its part, requested acquittal.

In the recording of the victim’s call to the emergency services, the judges heard her say that her partner had locked her up and that she could not get out. The two municipal police officers of Burlada who went to the scene confirmed that the victim was indeed locked up in the abandoned building and that it was "impossible" to open the door from the inside because of the chain and the padlock.

Ultimately, the judges did not consider the crime of mistreatment, considering that even if the defendant had put his hand on his partner on other occasions, he had not done so that day. As for the injuries on the victim’s face, they "seemed prior", according to the two police officers. The judges also ordered the expulsion of the Moroccan who has no papers, does not work and does not speak Spanish despite his five years of residence in Spain.