Convicted paedophile Santiago del Valle, currently remanded in custody for the murder of five year old Mari Luz Cortés, has been in court again to answer charges in a fourth case of child abuse.
He was escorted to the court in Sevilla by a dozen Guardia Civil officers. A crowd had gathered outside the building and when he arrived, del Valle was greeted by abuse.
On this occasion, del Valle is accused of molesting a four year old girl back in 2006. He maintains that he was holding the girl to prevent her from falling. He told the judge that he was aware that child abuse was wrong, but that he had been attracted to young girls ever since his own young daughter was run over and killed by a lorry and since the Junta de Andalucía took away two of his daughters after he was convicted of molesting his own five year old.
Obviously his fantasies began before the Junta took away his children!
Del Valle also claims that he doesn’t really remember the incident, acknowledging that he held the girl (to prevent her from falling) but without attributing any sexual motive to the act. A witness to the event, which took place in December 2006, clearly recalled seeing the defendant rubbing the genitals of the young girl.
The prosecution, both public and private, is demanding a prison sentence of three years in this case. The defence is looking for a one year and one day sentence on the grounds of mental disorder.
Del Valle has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic by several medical experts and is in receipt of a disability pension for the disorder. The Court, however, has yet to rule on whether this condition applies in any of the cases for which del Valle is being tried.