Court imposes the maximum sentence on Chloe’s two killers

The Provincial Court of Alicante affirmed the sentence of eight years in a closed juvenile prison centre and five further years of supervised release for the two minors responsible for Cloe’s murder. The judgement labels the crime as “despicable” and concludes that both acted with complete contempt for human life. A 15-year-old girl was murdered in Orihuela Costa in November 2024. The verdict, delivered last week, upholds the Juvenile Court’s prior sentence and emphasises that both behaved as co-perpetrators, participating in the initial planning and execution of the crime.

The appeal was expedited to prevent the defendants’ maximum stay in detention without a definitive conviction from expiring. There is no further regular appeal against this verdict, unless a suspected breach of basic rights is brought to the highest courts.

Planning and carrying out the crime

According to the finding, Cloe’s decision to discontinue her connection with her ex-boyfriend fuelled the murder plot. The defendants examined films of genuine executions on social media to decide how to carry out the crime, shared images of the knives they planned to use, and used online translators to transmit comments that misled others about who was responsible for the murder.

That night, her ex-boyfriend enticed the young woman to an alley near her house under the guise of delivering a gift for her mother. Once there, she was ambushed from behind by his accomplice, who attempted to restrain her with a chokehold. She was then thrown to the ground, and while one person held her down, the other cut her neck with a knife used like a saw. The narrow, lonely alley was intended to minimise the possibility of escape. Following the crime, both men boasted about it in messages on an app. The Guardia Civil recovered these messages, which were so explicit that they served as convincing evidence.

The court determined that Cloe’s ex-boyfriend was the one who physically performed the stabbing, but his accomplice had an active and essential part in providing the means and preventing the young woman from fleeing. The court confirmed that the identical punishment for both youngsters is appropriate given existing regulations and the nature of their participation. Furthermore, it acknowledged the aggravating condition of kinship for the accomplice, who had a previous record in juvenile justice.

Appeal of the accomplice and defence of the principal

The kid who participated in the crime, while not physically carrying out the stabbing, was critical to the murder’s completion. His defence filed an appeal with the Provincial Court, asking that he should not be sentenced the same as the offender, alleging that the aggravating condition of kinship only applies to the latter and that his participation was not similar to that of the ex-boyfriend. However, the Provincial Court dismissed these claims, citing evidence that both were co-perpetrators and that the accomplice’s participation was essential. Without his assistance, the crime would most likely not have occurred.

The ex-boyfriend had not appealed the murder verdict, and only his accomplice had requested the court to reduce the sentence.

Trial for abuse

Cloe’s ex-boyfriend was recently sentenced to three years in a juvenile correctional centre for cruelty, threats, and abuse throughout their relationship. In that trial, the Guardia Civil described a climate of dominance: control of her mobile phone, forcing her to delete contacts, uninstalling apps, and explicit threats such as, “I don’t care if they’re your friends, I’ll beat them to a pulp if I see you with them,” or “If you go near anyone, I’ll kill you with my own hands.”

The officer emphasised that what was included in the report was “just the tip of the iceberg,” and that the phone had countless identical texts. She also noted that the relationship reflected “the classic cycle of gender-based violence, with episodes of jealousy and possessiveness followed by remorse within a toxic dynamic,” and that the young woman’s circumstances worsened when she opted to quit her connection with her ex-boyfriend. Unlike the murder conviction, Cloe’s ex-boyfriend is appealing the domestic abuse term.

Chloe’s family’s response

The young woman’s family has had a mixed reaction to the sentence’s confirmation. On the one hand, they are relieved that the highest penalty was inflicted; on the other, they criticise the accomplice’s attempt to appeal his conviction. They state that “filing an appeal now demonstrates a profound lack of awareness of the harm caused.” Even though he did not swing the knife, his presence was vitally crucial for the crime to be committed and prevented Chloe from fleeing.”

They further stated that both were co-perpetrators and that the attempted appeal shows a lack of respect for the victim and her family. “Out of decency, they should have accepted the penalty. Eight years is insufficient for the gravity of this crime, but we know the prosecution did everything in its ability. We are left with sadness and indignation, but also with the assurance that everything feasible within the law has been done,” they said. The family has frequently lobbied for changes to the Juvenile Justice Act that would raise the punishment for these crimes.