Two squatters sentenced to one year in prison in Mairena del Aljarafe

Two individuals have accepted a year in prison for trespassing and falsifying documents to occupy a neighbour's home in Mairena del Aljarafe. The sentence has been reduced following an agreement and will not involve imprisonment.

The Provincial Court of Seville has sentenced two individuals to one year in prison for illegally occupying a neighbour's home in Mairena del Aljarafe. The defendants acknowledged the facts during the hearing held this Monday, which allowed for an agreement between the parties that reduced the initial penalty requested by the Public Prosecutor's Office, which was two years.

According to the provisional conclusions of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the events occurred in July 2022, when the two defendants went to the victim's home, which at that time was unoccupied due to work commitments. Taking advantage of the situation, they accessed the interior of the house without permission and remained there.

To simulate a legitimate rental, the accused created several false documents in which the mother of the owner appeared as the recipient of rent payments. They even forged the woman's signature to give the appearance of legality to the occupation.

The Prosecutor's Office classified the events as constituting a crime of trespass and another of forgery of private documents. Ultimately, following the agreement between the private prosecution, the defenses, and the Public Prosecutor's Office, a sentence of six months in prison for each crime was set, totalling one year. As a condition, the convicted individuals must vacate the property within one month so that it can return to its rightful owner.

However, the two convicted individuals will not serve prison time, as they have been granted a suspension of the custodial sentence. The condition for this is that they do not commit new crimes during a period of two years. Such agreements are common in occupation cases when the accused cooperate with justice and agree to vacate the property.

The case has raised concerns among the residents of Mairena del Aljarafe, where illegal occupation of homes has been a recurring problem in recent years. The ruling sets a precedent for future occupations in the locality, although the suspension of the sentence has been criticized by some sectors who believe that penalties should be harsher to deter potential squatters.

The owner, who has preferred to remain anonymous, has expressed satisfaction with the judicial resolution, although she laments the time she has had to wait to recover her home. Now, the priority is for the convicted individuals to comply with the eviction within the established timeframe so that the property can be made available again.

The trial was held in the Provincial Court of Seville, and the ruling is already final as it has been accepted by all parties. The convicted individuals must also bear the legal costs. The news comes amid growing concern over illegal occupation in the province of Seville, where hundreds of cases are reported each year.