Overview

• The Madrid-area jury found Raúl Mateos Otero guilty of murdering 18-year-old Cristina Romero with treachery and cruelty, applying gender-based and relationship aggravating factors after 42 stab wounds.
• Sentencing in the Parla case is pending, with requests ranging from 19 to 30 years in prison and prosecutors asking for 23 years after the jury accepted mitigation for partial damage reparation.
• Psychiatric experts testified Mateos Otero had major depression but understood his actions, supporting a finding of intent and rejecting a loss-of-reality defense.
• In Brussels, César Arribas Calvo admitted in court to killing Teresa Rodríguez with 153 stab wounds and said he lost control; he was a Guardia Civil trainee at the time and has since been expelled.
• The Belgian criminal court scheduled a short trial with jury deliberations expected on Oct. 16, and the premeditated murder charge carries a potential life sentence.