Madrid teacher jailed for ten years over sexual assault of student who later took her own life

The court found that three other students were also subjected to sustained sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour during the 2019-20 academic year

Europa Press

A secondary school mathematics teacher in Madrid has been sentenced to ten years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a student who died ... by suicide in August 2025, along with committing ongoing sexual abuse against three other pupils during the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

The Provincial Court of Madrid issued the ruling, which states that the nine-year primary sentence relates to his conduct towards one minor, identified as M., whose severe psychological deterioration following the abuse directly contributed to her death, according to expert and forensic psychiatric reports.

The offences against the three remaining victims received lesser sentences, with the court also imposing fines, probation periods and specific disqualifications. Among the restrictions, the teacher is prohibited from approaching the cemetery where M. is buried.

A pattern of behaviour

According to the statement of proven facts, the defendant taught mathematics to fourth-year ESO students and adopted a markedly different approach towards female pupils from the beginning of the school year. This included excessive physical contact, whispering in their ears, stroking their arms, backs, faces and thighs, and making comments about their appearance.

The most serious incident involving M. occurred on 13 December 2019. During a break, she went alone to the teacher's classroom, where he took her hands, told her he wanted to kiss her and kissed her on the lips. He then asked her to sit on his lap, at which point he touched her breasts and buttocks over her clothing.

Once the bell had rung, the teacher subsequently locked the classroom door and committed sexual assault.

Earlier that term, following an incident involving a birthday wreath with messages of a sexual nature, the teacher had given M. two kisses she described as "slow and messy". He also held private meetings with her in the classroom with the lights off and the blinds down.

The court also found that he engaged in similar, though less severe, behaviour towards the other three pupils, including touching, hugging, kissing their hands, winking at them and sending inappropriate messages via Google Classroom, including over the Christmas holidays.

Victims described discriminatory treatment

All four victims described a consistent pattern: the teacher was physically closer and more familiar with girls, while being stricter and more distant with male students. Female classmates and other teachers corroborated this behaviour.

M. was subsequently diagnosed with an adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, as well as a personality disorder. She changed her name and school following the events, was hospitalised up to eight times in psychiatric units over the following year and expressed recurrent suicidal thoughts.

She died in early August 2025. Psychologists and forensic psychiatrists who gave evidence directly linked her deterioration to the abuse she had suffered.

At trial, the teacher denied the most serious allegations and claimed the accusations resulted from a conspiracy against him. The court rejected this account, finding it lacked external corroboration and was undermined by contradictions in his own testimony.