Two illegal exotic birds, a protected macaw and an invasive parrot, were rescued from the garage of a property in Santa Pola.

According to the Guardia Civil, the birds are a blue-and-yellow macaw and a Kramer’s parakeet. They were temporarily immobilised because their owner lacked the necessary documentation for legal ownership, such as certificates of origin or import, as well as documentation proving their legal acquisition.

The Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) has sent proposed sanctions to the Valencian Community’s Ministry of Environment, Water, Infrastructure, and Territory, as well as the Customs and Special Taxes Delegation of Alicante, for possible administrative violations of smuggling, wildlife protection, and animal welfare regulations, which could result in sanctions ranging from 3,000 to more than 100,000 euros, depending on the applicable legislation.

Both species are listed under the CITES Convention on Conservation, which imposes a number of legal conditions for their possession. Furthermore, the Red-faced Parakeet is included in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species, limiting its availability owing to the threat it causes to native biodiversity.

The Guardia Civil seized the opportunity to remind everyone that the possession and trade of protected species are governed by national and international legislation and that failing to comply jeopardises both biodiversity and the animals’ well-being. It also invited the public to report any information on illicit wildlife trafficking by calling 062 or using the AlertCops mobile app.

Two brothers have traded accusations, neither of whom has acknowledged responsibility. This is how the trial of three defendants accused of brutal robbery and sexual assault on a 19-year-old woman in Alicante ended on Friday, May 16th, at the High Court. The man suspected by the Prosecutor’s Office and the private prosecution of being the culprit has blamed his brother, but the latter has identified him as the person who got out of the car with the three defendants and robbed a young woman after following her. The third defendant has revised his account of events in court and identified the accused brother as the offender.

The Prosecutor’s Office has recommended 16 years and six months in jail for one defendant accused of sexual assault and robbery with intimidation, as well as sentences of three years, six months, and one day for the other two defendants charged with robbery. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has also asked 71 euros in compensation for the victim’s stolen property, as well as 15,000 euros for moral damages.

The Third Section of the Alicante Court of Appeals will assess the evidence to determine the accused’s guilt or innocence. The hearing revealed that the three defendants, as they admitted in court, were travelling in the same car the night of the incident.

According to the prosecutor’s office’s charge, the incidents took place approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 11, 2023, in the Plaza Mar 2 shopping center’s outdoor car park. The victim ratified her complaint in court, and according to her account and that of the police officers from the Alicante Judicial Police’s Violent Crime Group who conducted the investigation, the defendants agreed to rob a young woman they saw walking with a bag along the Alfonso el Sabio extension.

After making a U-turn, one of the car’s occupants jumped out to pursue her on foot. When they drew close to the young woman, one of the car’s occupants stepped out, and she was assaulted in Plaza Mar 2’s outdoor car park. The young woman explained that she used that area as a shortcut on her way back home, and when she realised she was being followed, she turned around, saying, “They caught me from behind.”

The young woman alleges she attempted to push away the assailant, who was wearing a mask, and yelled for aid, but no one responded. He requested for her mobile phone and, after giving it to her, led her to a secluded location, where he snatched her credit card and 20 euros before sexually assaulting her. The woman reported that she was “scared,” and the attacker fled the scene with the money and phone. He drove around 400 metres before getting into the car with the other two defendants, who were waiting for him near the tram stop.

The National Police identified the car and the route followed after analysing video footage from the shopping centre’s cameras and the Traffic Department. The vehicle belonged to the father of the two brothers on trial, and one of them had been arrested many weeks prior for another sexual assault, though that case was eventually dismissed, according to sources from his defence team.

This resulted in the arrest of one of the two brothers, who first refused to acknowledge to any involvement in the crime, including being in the automobile. He then testified in court, admitting his culpability and recalling the events in full. At trial, he changed his tale again, claiming that it was his brother who stepped out of the car to rob the young woman, and that he pleaded guilty to protect his loved one because he needed to compete in a national judo championship.

The other brother, who also pleaded guilty in one of his statements following the arrest, stated in court that he only claimed responsibility for the heist since his brother was going to become a parent, and he identified a relative as the person who got out of the vehicle to steal it. Despite blaming the other sibling in court, the third defendant identified the latter as the robbery’s perpetrator.

The Prosecutor’s Office has maintained its accusations against the young man suspected of committing the sexual assault but has requested that the court testify against the other defendant if he is not proved to be the culprit. It has also maintained the three defendants’ robbery counts, despite the defence’s request for acquittal.

The Guardia Civil acquired WhatsApp conversations from the mobile phones of Cloe’s two alleged murders, indicating that they were preparing the crime. In the days leading up to the murder, they were explicit about how they planned to carry it out. Both suspects were certain that they had hidden their traces because the texts were ephemeral and were destroyed once read. However, the Guardia Civil was able to recover the communications, which had surrounded the two suspects. Yesterday, Friday May 16th, the second suspect testified before the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office and finally admitted to his involvement in the murder on the Orihuela Costa. Given the evidence gathered by investigators, the dead young woman’s ex-boyfriend confessed on Thursday as well. The messages are so clear that their primary defence is an attempt to minimise their responsibility for the crime. As a result, both accuse one another for the murder.

On November 24th, the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, fifteen-year-old Cloe’s throat was severed. The investigation immediately led to a domestic violence incident, with the young woman’s ex-boyfriend as the primary suspect, who was apprehended a few hours later. However, evidence of a second suspect quickly emerged, and he was apprehended at the end of March. Apparently, one of them grabbed Chloe’s neck and attempted to strangle her, while the other slit her throat with a knife. Since their arrests, the two 17-year-olds under investigation for murder have been kept at a juvenile detention centre. They were brought to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office this week for questioning in response to evidence discovered by the Guardia Civil.

Attorney Iván Rodríguez Lorente, who is defending the second suspect, acknowledged that the young man had recognised his involvement in the murder and conveyed forgiveness to Cloe’s family. According to sources consulted by this newspaper, the second suspect stated that her lover had incited and compelled him to join. To persuade him to cooperate, he allegedly promised that if he helped carry out his plan, he would be more accepted by the group.

A version that contradicts that of the slain young woman’s ex-boyfriend, who spoke of a drug debt and claimed that the second suspect killed Cloe to teach her a lesson. Attorney Encarnación Obdulia Martínez represents a young man who admits to participating in the crime but claims he was compelled to do so by another suspect. The account-settling theory is disintegrating, as the inquiry has revealed no evidence linking the second suspect to narcotics trafficking. However, the investigation indicates that it was a sexist crime in which the main suspect enlisted the assistance of a buddy. Now they’re accusing each other for the murder.

The private prosecution, represented by lawyer Juan Carlos Fuentes on behalf of the family, has indicated that there is no mention of a drug debt in the proceedings, calling it “completely false.” It is a crime of gender violence committed by two minors who planned and carried it out. “The family would like to thank the Guardia Civil for its inquiry. It was so exhausting that the two minors had little to contribute, as they now admit. They have not made any statements that are not documented in the case.”

Although the particular content of these texts has not been released, sources have stated that they openly discuss the murder. Following the ex-boyfriend’s confession on Thursday, it was found that these communications were sent soon after the murder and as the two young men departed. However, it was revealed on Friday that there are pre-crime messages in which the two men plan the crime and discuss what they will do.

The second suspect’s presence before the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office lasted more than three hours yesterday, despite many occurrences. First, just as the event was about to begin, there was a surprise fire drill, forcing the whole Palace of Justice to evacuate. This resulted in the hearing commencing an hour later than planned. During the interrogation, the suspect became agitated and asked for a break to obtain some fresh air, stating he felt ill. Two pauses were required during the session.