The Caso Karate is without doubt the biggest scandal involving pedophiles in Spain and the trial which has just concluded, reflects this.

Three of the four accused received prison sentences that amply surpass 100 years: the prime culprit, Fernando Torres Baena received a 302-year sentence; his wife and karate-gym monitor, María José González, 148 years, and the karate instructress, Yvonne González, 126 years. The fourth person found guilty, a gym monitor, Juan Luis Benítez who faced a ‘piffling’ 20 years, was acquitted.

The verdict reflects the continued sexual abuse metered out by the three persons as “mega abuse;” hardly a legalese term but certainly a descriptive one. The verdict considers that this case has no precedent in Spain because it involved around 50 victims, subjected to “indiscriminate sexual relations.”

The court findings considers that Torres Baena, an ex-national karate champion, behaved towards the pupils in his martial-arts academy as a “sexual predator,” who organized amongst them “veritable orgies,” creating a “quasi sexual cult.”

Torres Baena, his ex wife and the other Yvonne González, in the words of the findings, followed a “preconceived plan” to sexually abuse a group of pupils, many of whom were minors, previously selected as the “chosen ones.” These pupils were invited to Torres Baena’s chalet on the weekends, which is where the majority of the abuse occurred.

Torres Baena instilled in his victims from an early age that the sexual act in its most ample form, including heterosexual, homosexual and group sex, would make them “better people.” Those that refused to enter into this ‘arrangement,’ were subjected to punishing workout schedules.

Furthermore, the guilty three have also been sentenced to indemnify their victims with between 10,000 and 50,000 euros each, as some of them have remained traumatized and unable to enter into a normal relationship.

Finally, the defence lawyer has announced that he will appeal against the sentence.

(News: las Palmas, Islas Canarias, Spain)