Elderly British woman raped, beaten and robbed for two hours at apartment in Tenerife
The 79-year-old British woman was beat for hours in her apartment on the Canary Islands
A 73-year-old woman police her attacker only stopped after opening a safe where she kept her money and jewellery.
Listen to this article
The victim was physically and sexually assaulted by a 32-year-old who climbed a 6ft-high wall and broke into her holiday property, stealing money, jewellery and keys.
The assault, which happened in May 2018, has only just come to light due to a trial on the Spanish island.
The rapist has now been handed a nine-year sentence after conclusive DNA analysis, as well as videos from security cameras.
The victim, who died seven months after the attack in January 2019, had earlier given evidence against the subject - including identifying him in CCTV footage.
The attack, which took place in an apartment located in the south resort of Arona, saw the elderly woman endure nearly two hours of sexual assault and beatings.
The victim, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was hospitalised in Santa Cruz after the attack.
She told police her attacker only stopped after opening a safe where she kept her money and jewellery, and had attacked her relentlessly until she gave up the code to give him access.
She also told police that the man showed no signs of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Her death was not linked to the attack, but her daughter testified at trial that her health had deteriorated after the incident.
The man was arrested in Valencia two months after the incident after being caught on the CCTV cameras, and was identified by a woman who he had mugged nearby that same day.
The trial was then held up in a series of delays, including claims from the defendant that a lost passport prevented him from travelling to court from the mainland.
His defence lawyer tried to argue the biological tests were a “peripheral element”, but medical experts later confirmed the reports were reliable.
The attacker has been ordered to pay £30,000 to the woman’s family and to return the jewellery – with further compensation not ruled out.