GREAT EUROPEANS: The case of María del Carmen García took place in Benejúzar, a town in the province of Alicante, Spain.

It became one of the most widely discussed criminal cases in the country due to its emotional and social impact.

Background: The assault on her daughter

In 1998, a 13-year-old girl was abducted and raped at knifepoint in Alicante, Spain. The rapist, 63-year-old Antonio Cosme, was sentenced to 9 years in jail.

During the years that followed, the family endured psychological trauma, therapy, and several changes of residence.

Hell Revisits the Scene of the Crime

Fast forward to 13 June 2005. While out on a temporary prison leave, Cosme encountered María del Carmen in the street. The victim’s mother, María del Carmen García, was waiting at a bus stop when she saw a man approaching.

‘How’s your daughter doing?’ the man asked with a smirk on his face.

It was her daughter’s rapist.

Shaken by the encounter, she went to a petrol station, bought gasoline, and returned to the bar where Cosme had entered.

She poured the fuel over him and set him on fire. Cosme suffered severe burns and died ten days later in the hospital.

Judicial process and sentencing

María del Carmen García was arrested and charged with homicide.

The Alicante Provincial Court initially sentenced her to nine and a half years in prison.

The Spanish Supreme Court later reduced the sentence to five and a half years, considering psychological factors and the traumatic context.

She suffered from a long‑term mixed adaptive disorder linked to her daughter’s assault, which her defense argued made imprisonment destabilizing.

Public reaction and later developments

LEFT. Victim’s Revenge. Click the picture for more details.

The case generated widespread public sympathy. Thousands signed petitions requesting a government pardon.

Over time, she received progressively more flexible prison conditions, including third‑degree status, allowing her to spend only nights in prison.

Judges cited her good behavior, social support, and low risk of reoffending. Today, she lives freely in Spain after being reunited with her daughter. Use our REPLY opportunity to tell us what you think.

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