Rubén Manu Simón Case Violence, Justice, and a Life Tragically Lost PART4 #8

The forensic experts made something very clear during their testimony, and it was one of those details that completely shifts how you understand everything that happened. They explained that the injuries found on Vanessa's face and head could not, under any circumstances, be explained by the idea that her body had simply been dragged after death. That theory, which the defense had tried to suggest, didn't hold up when examined closely. According to the medical findings, the wounds showed clear signs of bleeding, which means they happened while she was still alive. That detail alone changed the tone of the entire case, because it pointed directly to violence inflicted before her death, not after. This wasn't just a technical clarification, it was something much heavier. It meant that Vanessa had suffered those blows while she was still conscious, or at least still alive enough for her body to respond. And that reality made it much harder to accept the idea of an accident or a moment of confusion. Instead, it suggested a sequence of actions that involved control, force, and awareness. As the trial continued, the jury was given a chance to hear directly from Vanessa's family. Those moments in court were intense, emotional, and deeply human. No reports or expert analyses could match the impact of hearing from the people who had actually loved her, who had shared their lives with her. One of the most powerful testimonies came from her sister, Alba. When the lawyer asked her what Vanessa was like, Alba didn't hesitate. She described her as someone full of life, happy, natural, generous, and always ready to help others. She painted a picture of a young girl who had dreams, energy, and a strong sense of empathy. According to her, Vanessa was the kind of person who stood up for lost causes, someone who cared deeply about fairness and about the people around her. But Alba didn't just talk about who her sister was, she also spoke about what her absence had done to the family. Her words made it painfully clear that Vanessa's death didn't just take one life, it shattered many others in the process. She said that their father would never recover from the loss, that he would never be able to move forward in the same way again. As for their mother, Alba explained that she had lost her self-esteem and was now living with constant anxiety, struggling every single day. Then came the testimony of Jorge, Vanessa's father, and it was one of the most heartbreaking moments in the courtroom. He didn't try to hide his emotions. He openly admitted that since losing his daughter, he had felt like he didn't want to go on living. He said that the pain was so overwhelming that there were moments when he simply wanted everything to end. He also shared something that revealed just how much Vanessa meant to him. He explained that his brother would sometimes remind him that he still had another daughter, as a way of helping him hold on. But even with that reminder, the grief remained unbearable. Jorge described Vanessa as his entire world. He said she used to help him with personal care that she was always by his side, supporting him in ways that went beyond what most people would expect from someone her age. Listening to him, it became clear that Vanessa wasn't just a daughter, she was a source of strength, companionship, and love in his daily life. Losing her wasn't just losing a family member, it was losing a part of himself. After days of testimony, arguments and emotional moments, the trial finally reached a turning point. On July 23, 2020, after a long and careful deliberation, the jury delivered its verdict. They found Ruben Mano Simone Guilty on multiple charges, gender-based murder, rape, and desecration of a corpse. As the verdict was read out loud in the courtroom, the atmosphere became incredibly tense. One reacted by lowering his head and holding it in his hands, almost as if trying to block out what he was hearing. Meanwhile, Vanessa's family struggled to contain their emotions. It was a moment filled with a mix of relief, pain, and exhaustion after everything they had gone through. The decision meant that Ruben was now facing one of the most severe penalties available under Spanish law, permanent Revizable imprisonment. This was exactly what both the prosecution and the private accusation had requested from the beginning. The jury didn't just give a general verdict, they went through around 30 specific points, carefully evaluating each aspect of the case. One of the first things they established was that Ruben had contacted Vanessa with the intention of meeting her, promising that there would be other people at his house. That promise turned out to be false, and this element played a key role in proving premeditation and deception. Another important factor was Vanessa's age. Because she was a minor, the jury considered her to be in a particularly vulnerable position. This added weight to the charges and reinforced the seriousness of the crime. They also highlighted what they saw as a clear lack of respect toward Vanessa as a woman. This wasn't just about physical violence, it was about the underlying attitude and behavior that showed disregard for her dignity and autonomy. The defense tried to argue that Ruben had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time, suggesting that this had affected his judgment and actions. However, the jury didn't accept that argument. The unanimously agreed that neither his will nor his awareness had been significantly impaired when he took Vanessa's life. In other words, they believed that he knew what he was doing. The jury also rejected the defense's version of how the events unfolded. Instead, they concluded that Ruben had physically assaulted Vanessa, hitting her until she lost consciousness. After that, they determined that he forced her into a kneeling position, sexually assaulted her, and then strangled her from behind, applying pressure in a way that prevented her from escaping or defending herself. According to their findings, the intention behind these actions was to ensure that she wouldn't be able to report what had happened. They also confirmed the charge of desecration of a corpse. After Vanessa's death, Ruben wrapped her body in a blanket, carried it to a remote area known as the top of Los Boricos, and threw it there in an attempt to hide it and prevent it from being found. These conclusions painted a clear and disturbing picture of what had happened, a sequence of deliberate actions rather than a spontaneous or accidental event. Outside the courtroom, reactions came quickly. Alba, Vanessa's sister, spoke to the media and expressed a mix of emotions. She said that even though her sister would never come back, at least the person who had taken her life would no longer be able to harm anyone else. She described the outcome as justice and said that Vanessa could finally rest in peace. On the other hand, the defense team, led by lawyer Nicholas Egan, strongly disagreed with the verdict. He argued that the jury had not properly evaluated the evidence or the testimonies presented during the trial. According to him, the case should have been considered a homicide, not murder, and he announced that they would file an appeal. From his perspective, the sentence being requested was far too severe for what he believed was a crime without intent to kill. He maintained that his client's actions, while serious, did not meet the criteria for the charges that had been confirmed by the jury. The legal battle, it seemed, was not entirely over yet. 19 days after the jury delivered its verdict, the case reached another major milestone. The presiding judge issued the final sentence, and it confirmed what many had expected based on the jury's decision. Ruben Mano Simone was sentenced to permanent Revizable imprisonment. In addition to that, the ruling included specific penalties for each of the crimes he had been found guilty of. For the charge of murder, he received a base sentence of 25 years. On top of that, he was given 17 years for sexual assault, along with an aggravating factor related to gender discrimination. There was also an additional sentence of three months for the desecration of Vanessa's body. Even with all of that, Vanessa's family made it clear that no punishment could ever truly match the brutality of what had been done or fill the emptiness left behind in their lives. Still, they acknowledged that within the limits of the legal system, this was the most appropriate and just outcome possible. At the same time, they used this moment to highlight something bigger. They spoke about the need for stricter penalties in cases like this, arguing that crimes of such severity should be met with consequences that fully reflect their impact. For them, this wasn't just about their own case, it was about preventing similar tragedies in the future. Alba, who had taken on a very active role throughout the entire process despite her young age, continued to be a strong voice for her family. After the sentence was announced, she shared an emotional message publicly. In it, she thanked her sister, not just for the memories they had shared, but for the way her life had shaped who she had become. She wrote about how pain changes people, how it transforms them in ways they never expect. It wasn't just a message of grief, it was also a reflection on growth, resilience, and the complicated ways in which loss can redefine a person's path. About a year later, in late July 2021, the case reached Spain's Supreme Court. The defense had filed appeals, challenging various aspects of the trial and the sentence. They even went as far as requesting that the entire trial be declared invalid. However, the Supreme Court largely upheld the previous decisions. They agreed with the High Court of Valencia, which had already made a small adjustment by reducing the sentence for sexual assault from 17 years to 15. Apart from that change, all other requests from the defense were rejected. This meant that the sentence of permanent Revizable imprisonment remained fully in place. In practical terms, it required Ruben to serve a minimum of 25 consecutive years in prison before even being considered for review, not including the additional 15 years for the sexual assault conviction. With this ruling, the legal process finally reached its conclusion. There were no more appeals, no more arguments to be made in court. The case was officially closed. But while the legal chapter had ended, the emotional and human consequences continued. The crime had taken away the life of a 16-year-old girl who had her whole future ahead of her. Her dreams, her plans, her potential, everything was cut short in the most violent way possible. But the damage didn't stop there. It extended to everyone who knew her, everyone who had expected to keep walking through life with her. In many ways, the people closest to her became victims too. Her parents and her sister each had to find their own way of dealing with the loss. Over time, they ended up taking separate paths, not out of distance or conflict, but as a way of coping. Sometimes, grief pushes people in different directions as they try to survive it. According to Alba, both of her parents felt as though their lives had been extinguished. That was how she described it during an interview in 2021, marking the 5th anniversary of Vanessa's death. By that time, Alba herself had moved to the United Kingdom. She had made that decision back in 2018, seeking distance from everything that reminded her of the tragedy. For her, it was a way to rebuild, to heal, and to find a new direction in life. It wasn't about forgetting, it was about surviving. Vanessa's case became one of many that highlighted deeper issue within society. It raised questions about violence, about attitudes toward women, and about the kind of environment that allows these things to happen. There's a growing awareness that these situations don't just appear out of nowhere. They are often connected to patterns, to behaviors, to beliefs that go unchallenged for too long. And that's why many people believe that change has to start early, with education, with awareness, and with open conversations about respect, equality, and boundaries. Preventing this kind of violence isn't something that can be left to chance. It requires effort from everyone, families, schools, communities, and institutions. It involves teaching young people how to handle emotions, how to deal with rejection, and how to respect others in a healthy way. At the same time, it also means speaking up when something isn't right. Silence can allow harmful behaviors to grow, while awareness and action can help stop them before they escalate. Vanessa's story, painful as it is, serves as a reminder of what's at stake. It shows the real consequences of ignoring these issues, and the importance of addressing them head on. Doing nothing is not an option. Being by and hoping things will change on their own is not enough. Every person has a role to play, whether it's through education, through example, or through simply refusing to tolerate behavior that crosses the line. In the end, while justice may have been served in a legal sense, the true challenge lies in making sure that stories like Vanessa's become less and less common. That's the responsibility that remains. And that's where the reall work begins. Subscribe to the channel to support me and share the story to help me grow the channel. The end.