Overview

• A woman from Cadiz, Spain, pretended to be mute for 16 years to collect a disability pension after a 2003 workplace assault.
• In 2019, a private insurer hired a detective who documented her speaking normally, leading to allegations of fraud.
• The Andalusian High Court ruled the detective's evidence admissible, rejecting claims of privacy violations.
• The court fined her between €600 and €6,000 for negligence and referred the case to the public prosecutor for potential criminal charges.
• The Spanish Social Security authority must now decide whether to demand repayment of 16 years of disability benefits.