06.08.2024 10:50
Spanish mother Maria del Carmen Garcia set fire to Antonio Cosme in 2005, who had raped her daughter in 1998. Garcia, who received a sentence of 9.5 years in prison, had her sentence reduced to 5.5 years. In 2011, her sentence was suspended, she returned to prison in 2013, and was released in 2018. The incident sparked debates about the justice system and victim rights in Spain.
A mother who set fire to her daughter's rapist paid a heavy price for trying to take justice into her own hands.
Maria del Carmen Garcia, a Spanish mother, became angry when she encountered her neighbor Antonio Cosme, who had raped her 13-year-old daughter Veronica in 1998, on a day when he was on leave from prison in 2005. Garcia bought gasoline, found Cosme in a bar, and set him on fire due to his insolent behavior and asking about her daughter's condition.
Cosme, who suffered burns on a large part of his body, died in the hospital. Garcia stated that her intention was not to kill, but to scare or injure him.
Initially sentenced to 9.5 years in prison, Garcia's sentence was reduced to 5.5 years as a result of an appeal. Garcia received great support from the public, and amnesty campaigns were organized for her.
Garcia, who served more than a year in prison, had her sentence suspended due to special circumstances in 2011, but she returned to prison in 2013. The mother, who started to have daytime leave in 2017, was completely released in 2018.
This incident sparked extensive debates in Spain about the justice system, child abuse, and the rights of victims.