A man accused of raping an Irish student on Spain’s Costa Blanca has gone on trial.
State prosecutors want him jailed for seven and a half years if he is found guilty of the sex attack and a separate drugs offence.
Police found an indoor cannabis farm inside his home after going to arrest him following a complaint from his alleged victim, who was in Alicante on an Erasmus study programme.
She was due to give evidence via video link yesterday, but it was put back to next week because of technical problems.
Her alleged sex attacker insisted, after going on trial at the Audiencia Provincial Court in Alicante, they had “consensual" sexual relations, but he didn’t penetrate her as she told police in her initial complaint.
Officers were alerted the day of the alleged sex attack on June 17th 2022 and discovered 48 cannabis plants inside a room at his home after going to arrest the suspect.
He and his female accuser met up in a bar after chatting online.
Public prosecutors said in a pre-trial indictment which did not fully name the defendant he invited her for a drink at his home after a short motorbike ride and proceeded to kiss her and try to take her clothes off once they were there before she told him she didn’t want sex.
They said: “Despite that the man insisted and forced himself on her.”
The 48 plants were in a wardrobe said to have had ventilation and artificial light.
The alleged sex attacker said yesterday in court they engaged in kissing and fondling, which was consensual, but denied taking the Irish student's clothes off, pushing her against a sofa and forcing himself on her.
He agreed to answer questions from the public prosecutor as well as his defence lawyer.
He also denied telling the police officers who arrested him he planned to sell the drugs he was growing.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
