The prosecutor believes that the alleged murderer of the elderly man from Ibiza "was fully aware of what she was doing"

PalmThe prosecutor in charge of the case of the woman accused of murdering a vulnerable elderly man in her care in 2023 in Ibiza has stated that the defendant "knew perfectly well what she was doing at the time of the events" and that she intended to carry it out, despite suffering from schizoaffective disorder. In a trial that began this Monday at the Balearic Islands Provincial Court, following the formation of the jury that will judge her, prosecutor Mamen Navarro explained that, based on forensic analysis, the woman, despite suffering from a mental disorder, was fully aware of what she was doing, as was the victim. The prosecution is seeking a life sentence with the possibility of parole, as is the private prosecution brought by the deceased's family, against ICN, who allegedly murdered a vulnerable elderly man in August by setting fire to his house, where two other people were present but managed to escape the flames alive.

The forensic expert detailed that the woman "suffers from schizoaffective disorder: she feels no empathy, no nervousness, and no anguish." This was explained in the expert's report, which emphasized that, at the time of the events, her condition did not prevent her from discerning between right and wrong, and therefore she was fully aware of the consequences of her actions. Furthermore, he stressed that "there is no doubt that the fire was arson," since the woman entered the victim's home and, "with matches, set fire to the sofa," and then took some pillows and burned them in the garage next to the car engine.

Regarding the woman's relationship with the victim, the prosecutor explained that the accused had been in a relationship with the victim's son, which would explain why she had access codes to the house, as she had been living with him for some time. She also detailed that the defendant had asked the family for money, among other things, to care for her husband's parents: the victim, a septuagenarian with reduced mobility, and his wife, a nonagenarian with Alzheimer's who was resting in another room the night of the events.

Change of clothes

One of the points the prosecutor has raised regarding the evidence presented is the footage showing ICN leaving the house "covering herself to avoid being recognized" by any security cameras, dressed differently than when she returned. Furthermore, although she initially invoked her right to remain silent when arrested by the Civil Guard, she explained that she spontaneously began to recount that she "walked to the elderly man's house" that night, "that she doesn't remember why she did it," and denied having consented to his presence. The defense is requesting her acquittal.

For his part, ICN's lawyer defended his client's innocence and requested her acquittal: "There's absolutely nothing to it, you'll see, I don't even know how we got to this point," he told the jury. He also asserted that the accusation against his client "has been flawed from the start." The trial will continue on Tuesday with the start of witness testimony, while the defendant, who is being held in pretrial detention for these events, has requested to testify last, after all the evidence has been presented.