Three days of permission for the biggest pederast in Spain

• Keys The biggest case of pederasty in Spain

• 'Karate Case' Torres Baena, sentenced to 302 years in prison for acting as a 'sexual predator'

Fernando Antonio Torres Baena, considered the biggest sexual predator of minors in Spain, will be released from prison throughout this month of May to enjoy a three-day permit, the first granted to him in the 12 years he has been imprisoned.

This was decided a few days ago by the Penitentiary Surveillance Court number 3 of

against the criteria of the Treatment Board of the Las Palmas II prison, where he is serving his sentence, and with the favorable opinion of the prosecutor and the forensic doctor of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Las Palmas that has examined the prisoner.

Torres Baena, a prestigious karate fighter and owner of a martial arts school in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, was sentenced in March 2013 to 302 years in prison for 35 crimes of sexual abuse and 13 of corruption of minors, crimes committed against students those who taught classes.

Due to the high number of those affected -up to 61 possible victims testified- and the extension of the abuses over many years, the so-called

is considered the largest episode of pederasty judged so far in Spain.

Torres Baena, according to his lawyer,

, had requested permits on several occasions, but they had always been denied by the Prison Treatment Board.

The last time, on May 6, 2021. After this refusal, the karate fighter filed an appeal before the Penitentiary Surveillance Court and it has now ruled in his favor.

The function of the Prison Surveillance Judge, says the order that grants him release, is "to provide the best regimen and treatment" to the inmates "in order to obtain reeducation and reintegration" "and not that of a vigilante or avenger, adding new penalties to those established by the sentencing body.

The prison surveillance judge, who, according to the car, has met several times with the inmate and with the forensic examiner who has examined him, argues his decision that "all the reports reiterate the good behavior and use of the time he has carried out by the prisoner during his stay in prison", from which he concludes that "the criminological factors have been positively modified;

These circumstances, assessed jointly, do not pose an obvious risk of committing new crimes.

The granting of the permit, concludes the Penitentiary Surveillance Court, is "the best thing for him and for the society to which he will return when he completes his sentence, and for what must be prepared, both one and the other, for the good of all”.

psychological monitoring

The order also mentions the content of the psychological follow-up carried out on Torres Baena in prison, which describes his risk of recidivism as high.

«The psychological report adds that the inmate "carries out a good introspection of himself and is motivated to change", although he points out that "the intimidating effect of the sentence is not enough to ensure non-recidivism" and according to the table of variables of This risk is classified as "high".

The resolution opposes this ruling that Fernando Torres Baena "never used violence or intimidation" and that he used his status as a karate teacher to abuse his victims, an activity for which he is disqualified.

“It does not seem probable that he will be able to commit more crimes of the type that he did, since he lacks a gymnasium and students, that is, the basic structure that allows him to capture and manipulate his victims, without it being possible to organize all of this in short prison leave.

The order highlights the "good behavior" that he has observed in prison and that he is not aware of "any sanction."

«He studies Anthropology at the

and his priority activities in prison are qualified with the global evaluation of "excellent"».

"I don't understand why this is news, it is a three-day permit, it falls under the ordinary regimen of all prisons and it is the first one granted in 13 years," says the karate fighter's lawyer.

To access a permit, prisoners in the second or third degree, the law requires that they have served a quarter of the sentence and do not observe misconduct.

Since the maximum stay in prison is 20 years, Torres Baena, imprisoned since February 2010, has already served more than half of what is required.

Before the order that grants this permit there was an appeal, but the victims have not presented it.

In 2010, they created

Association of Victims and Affected of the Karate case, and attended the trial that lasted seven and a half months - from March to December 2012 - represented by

The lawyer did not want to assess the measure before the media, nor before this newspaper.

He initiated them into sex when they were only 10 years old: "I didn't know what that was"

National karate champion in 1979, president of the

Fernando Torres Baena

martial arts school

It came to light in 2010, when the mother of a student who had been suffering abuse for years filed a complaint.

She was followed by dozens of students who reported similar events.

Torres Baena functioned as the leader of a sect and used his prestige and his ascendancy over minors to manipulate them psychologically and convince them that the sexual practices he subjected them to were part of normality and would make them better fighters.

One of the victims, 18 years old when the trial was held, reported that the teacher initiated him into sex at 10: "I didn't know what that was."

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