On July 1, Isabel Ruiz turned 50 years old. “He was fine with his head, but his whole body was crushed,” says her sister. On November 2, 2018, her life changed forever. She went from being a self-sufficient woman to being confined to a chair for life due to quadriplegia, because she jumped into the void through a window to try to escape from Francisco, her former romantic partner, who assaulted her and threatened to kill her with a knife. Almost four years later, an infection that was complicated and led to sepsis caused his death last Wednesday.
In May 2021, the Malaga Court sentenced the aggressor to eight years in prison for the crime of attempted murder. In addition, he was prohibited from approaching the victim within 500 meters or communicating with her for 15 years and to pay compensation of 700,000 euros for injuries, consequences and moral damages to the woman. In February of this year, the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) ratified the ruling, although it dismissed the aggravating circumstance of gender and reduced the sentence to seven years.
After the aggressor appealed both sentences, the case is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. “We have already appeared before this body as a private prosecution, opposing the appeal formalized by the court-appointed lawyer that touches the accused,” he explains. Manuel NovellaIsabel’s lawyer.
Meanwhile, the aggressor awaits the ratification of the sentence. A situation that Novella attributes to the defendant’s first statement. “When the events occurred, she was almost dead in the hospital and she could not speak. He said that they did not know each other at all and the Investigating Court released him,” she says. Although the victim has not seen her wish fulfilled in her lifetime, the lawyer is “optimistic” and points out that the case is already on the last rung of justice. “I’m going to fulfill Isabel’s last wish”he assures.
Sandra, one of the victim’s sisters, admits not understanding “how after almost four years this man is still on the street”. He says that every time he visited Isabel at the residence where she was cared for, she asked him if her attacker had already entered jail; she always replied: “There’s less left,” she says.
“There are witnesses and it is proven that he was responsible for his tetraplegia and on top of that he is allowed to resort twice,” Sandra denounces. Almost four years of “suffering and struggle” that Sandra will never forget, she confesses. Thus, ask for justice and that “the person responsible does what he deserves”.
This is how things happened
That night, Isabel met Francisco in marbella -city in which he resided-. Apparently, many years ago they were a couple and since then they had sporadic encounters, Sandra clarifies. He invited her to accompany him to his homea place where the victim had already gone to carry out, among other reasons, house cleaning tasks, according to the sentence.
Still on the street, the assailant pushed her and insulted her. Without well, she accepted and went up to the address. Once there, there was a strong argument Well, Francisco was upset, since he accused Isabel of stealing a narcotic substance as well as his wallet.
During this incident, the assailant hit her and punched her at eye level. She fell to the ground half unconscious and the glasses she was wearing broke, always according to her sentence. Upon regaining consciousness and getting up from her, the defendant brandished a knife, placed it near her body and told her “I am going to kill you”.
Frightened by the situation and the threats, Isabel tried to flee, although she could not do so through the main door of the house, since Francisco had locked it. Seeing the nearby kitchen window, she walked towards it and he fell off the hook by precipitating into the void from a second floor. After falling to the public highway, several neighbors assisted her.
As a result of this attack and subsequent fall, Isabel Ruiz suffered significant injuries and was taken to Costa Del Sol Hospital, where she was admitted in a very serious condition. The damage report was innumerable; main diagnosis: tetraplegia.