Dénia couple acquitted of causing injuries to their baby
An Alicante court has exonerated the parents after more than two years of legal proceedings, finding insufficient evidence that the child's injuries resulted from abuse or serious neglect.
The Criminal Section of the Court of First Instance in Alicante issued a ruling on 8 June in favour of two residents of Dénia who faced charges of alleged injuries inflicted on their baby son. The case, which lasted more than two years, had led the Public Prosecutor to seek prison sentences, as well as restraining orders and a prohibition on communication between both parents.
The case originated in early 2024, when the child was admitted to the Hospital General Doctor Balmis in Alicante in May of that year due to a respiratory infection. During his admission, the medical team detected fractures in the ribs, bruises and other marks on his body, which triggered the judicial investigation.
One of the healthcare professionals who treated the child described some of the injuries as "highly suggestive" of being non-accidental, without ever directly pointing to the parents as responsible. However, the case did not have a specific expert report on traumatology that would clarify the exact origin of the rib fractures.
This lack of evidence proved decisive for the ruling. The judgment itself acknowledges the existence of "reasonable doubts" about what happened, whilst the court expressed "considerable doubts" regarding the involvement of the accused. In this scenario, the tribunal chose to apply the principle of presumption of innocence, known as in dubio pro reo.
Background of the accused
The parents, including the mother, who is blind, maintained at all times that they had never abused their son. Finally, the court decided to declare the costs derived from the entire judicial process ex officio.