Trial begins against woman accused of setting fire to a house and causing the death of an elderly man in Ibiza

The Jury Court of the Provincial Court of the Balearic Islands will hold from Monday the trial against a 63-year-old woman accused of a crime of murder and another of arson for allegedly having intentionally set fire to the home of an elderly couple in Ibiza. In the event, which occurred in 2023, the man, who was totally dependent, died.

The Prosecutor’s Office is demanding for the accused the penalty of revisable permanent imprisonment, in addition to the payment of compensation exceeding 62,000 euros for two of the victim’s children and more than 86,000 euros for the third, as revealed by Radio Ibiza from the indictment.

The arson

According to the indictment, the woman took advantage of the fact that she kept the keys to the house – where she had worked weeks earlier as a caretaker – to enter the house while the couple slept. Once inside, she went to the garage, gathered several cushions, set them on fire and left the house leaving the flames to spread.

The fire surprised the residents in the early hours of the morning. The neighbors alerted by the smoke managed to get out the elderly woman, who was sleeping in one of the rooms, but were unable to help her partner. The man died of asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation and also had second-degree burns over most of his body.

The jury is scheduled to be constituted this Monday, in a closed session. Afterwards, the oral hearing will begin with the reading of the parties’ briefs. The trial will continue throughout the week with the testimony of witnesses and experts, and is expected to continue during the following week.