An Irish vacationer will face trial for an alleged sexual assault on a teenager in a hotel sauna, expressing her desire for a court hearing to prove her innocence.
Following an unsuccessful preliminary hearing in Palma, Majorca, where plea bargain discussions stalled, the prosecution sought an 18-month prison sentence. The defendant’s lawyer, Joan Arbos, stated that the 38-year-old woman maintains her innocence despite being accused of inappropriately touching an 18-year-old Swedish man without consent in a Turkish steam bath at a four-star hotel in Magaluf last June.
The unnamed holidaymaker, detained over a year ago, is scheduled to appear in court this upcoming June. She was briefly held in police custody last summer before being released on bail to return home pending further investigation. Prosecutors filed charges late last year, seeking a jail term of one-and-a-half years if convicted.
The incident allegedly occurred at Hotel Martinique in Magaluf on June 3 the previous year, when the Irish woman was 37 years old. The prosecution’s version of events claims that she advanced on the victim in the steam bath, touching him inappropriately against his will, leading to his distress and departure.
In addition to the requested prison sentence, the prosecution aims to prohibit the defendant from working with minors for an extended period, along with covering court expenses upon conviction. They also seek a compensation payment of €500 to the male accuser.
Witnesses, including two police officers, the accused, and the victim, are expected to testify during the trial. Arbos highlighted the defendant’s stance of denying any criminal wrongdoing, citing the incident as a misunderstanding rather than an intentional assault.
The Swedish teenager reported the alleged assault to hotel staff, who then involved the police. The woman was taken into custody in the presence of her husband when law enforcement intervened.
Arbos indicated his intention to push for the case’s dismissal on the grounds of his client’s perceived innocence shortly after her arrest. The Civil Guard confirmed the accusations against the woman, stating the victim’s distress prompted the arrest at the hotel sauna.
In Spain, first-time offenders typically receive suspended prison sentences of two years or less.
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