Woman avoids jail after cutting worker’s rope on Benidorm building facade

Yesterday, Monday 28th September, a woman accepted a two-year prison sentence in Benidorm after attempting to cause a worker to fall from a high-rise building facade during renovation works. The legal proceedings concluded with an agreement reached at the Alicante Provincial Court. The defendant admitted to cutting one of the safety ropes supporting the worker, who was suspended at the 13th-floor level. She also attempted to sever the second rope before stopping upon hearing the shouts of the workers.

The sentence, agreed upon by all parties and accepted by the defendant, has been suspended for three years, meaning she will not enter prison on the condition that she commits no further offences during that time. Additionally, she must undergo a two-year outpatient psychiatric treatment programme.

The incident dates back to 20th January 2021, when two vertical work operators were carrying out restoration tasks on the building’s exterior. While suspended at height, one of the operators noticed that one of his two support ropes had been deliberately cut.

The worker was left hanging solely by the main rope. Looking upwards with his colleague, both spotted hands manipulating the ropes from a window above. Facing the imminent danger that the second rope would also be cut, the operator grabbed a cornice while both workers began shouting loudly.

The commotion caused the individual manipulating the ropes to stop and retreat inside the flat. Both operators managed to reach the ground safely without sustaining any injuries.

Sharp object

An investigation by the National Police established that the rope displayed a clean cut made with a sharp object, and the action had been carried out from a residence situated directly above the workers. Initially, a man and a woman were arrested, but investigators subsequently determined that she was the sole occupant of the flat at the time and the perpetrator of the act. According to police enquiries, the motive stemmed from the woman’s disagreement with the building renovation works approved by the homeowners’ association.

The public prosecutor initially requested a six-year prison sentence for attempted homicide. However, an agreement was reached resulting in the acceptance of a two-year prison term. The settlement incorporated an incomplete mitigating factor of mental alienation, acknowledging that the defendant suffered from an undiagnosed psychological condition that impaired her cognitive faculties. Reparation of damage was also taken into account, as the defendant paid the required compensation.

With both the prosecution and defence supporting the agreement, a full trial was avoided. An in-court sentence was issued immediately, which is now final and non-appealable.