WEBVTT

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Okay.

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It's a beautiful day… …and I'm gonna knit.

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And I think I've cried enough.
I've cried every day.

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I think I've cried every day
for the past like…

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five weeks.

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Just here and there.

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I don't know how to express

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really how this feels.

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But I hope whatever happens
and whatever the outcome is…

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that I make peace with it soon after

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and that I can move forward,
doing the things that I wanna do.

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And live a very private life
where I don't have to…

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ever talk about this again.

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I hate talking about this.

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An alert from the United States embassy.

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Warning about
a sexual predator in Seville.

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Advises all travelers
to this city to take extra precautions

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to avoid contact
with this alleged sexual predator…

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Now to the US, which issued
a warning about a tour guide in Seville…

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According to the US embassy,

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its citizens are indeed
being warned about the conduct

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linked to alleged sexual assaults
by this man.

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A man from Seville
who owns a travel agency.

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Its website has all his details.

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Including his first and last name.

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When I was going

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through the process
of trying to spread this,

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I started seeing on Facebook
there was this new company.

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And it had very similar marketing
to Discover Excursions.

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It had former employees
from Discover Excursions working there.

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It might be Manuel's company,
and so I was like,

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"Does he have the gall to open a new…?"

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"The same business again?"

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So I went to the embassy, and I said,

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"Look, I just want this
to be on your radar."

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"He might be running a new business."

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And, you know,
there was an alert that was sent,

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a warning to the girls,
at one point, about him.

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I've done this for 22 years,
and I've never seen an embassy,

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from the US or another country,
issue an alert of this type.

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US WARNS OF SEXUAL OFFENDER IN SEVILLE

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US WARNS OF TOUR GUIDE
ACCUSED OF RAPE

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US WARNS OF STUDENT
SEXUAL PREDATOR IN SEVILLE

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SEXUAL ABUSE - ALERT IN SEVILLE

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I don't remember what it said,

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but it was a warning to Americans
to basically be careful.

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Why does the US
do this? It was a complex investigation.

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The events occurred outside of Spain.

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POLICE INVESTIGATE
TOURISM ENREPRENEUR RAPE CLAIMS

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Spain had no way to substantiate

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some of the accusations made against him,
which dated back several years.

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As a result, this man remained free
and continued operating.

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I wasn't really scared.

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This whole time,
I haven't really been that scared.

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I've just been really angry.

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The moment I got scared
was when I realized

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that I had to write down my statement.

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I would say that the embassy
tried their best to help us,

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but were very aware of letting us know
what their limitations were.

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They were like,
"We've never had a case like this."

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And we were like, "Okay, well,
can you help us figure it out?"

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We didn't know what the fuck to do.
How do you file a rape case in Spain?

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Who do you even talk to?

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All these women are coming to me,

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so I can get statements from them.

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And then we can pass them along
to the public prosecutor.

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So I started going to these women,
asking them to write down their stories,

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answer any questions, go to the embassy,

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get questions answered,
send that answer to that girl.

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Then I would get the form,
and I would get it signed from the women.

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They would send that over.
Then the embassy, "We need it in Spanish."

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And I was like, "You motherfuckers."

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Okay, let me call my abuela,
who is this cute tiny, little Cuban woman.

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Translate my rapist's
rapes of other women.

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Perfect. Thank you so much for your help.

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So that was going on for months
and months and months.

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And that's how the embassy was helping me,
but I was doing all the work.

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It was comforting
to hear from another survivor.

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And to hear that someone
was doing something about it.

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I thought, "Not all of us can be ignored."

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"With all the evidence of so many
experiencing this,

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the police would surely do something
about it and not ignore it."

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You know, it's…

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When someone
doesn't investigate your case,

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it's like telling you
that you're not important enough.

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It's not fair what happened to me.

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I feel bad looking
at that 19-year-old girl that I was.

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I didn't deserve that.
I was so innocent and sweet.

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¡Hola!

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I really thought I was gonna die.

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Manu invited my friends
and me out to keep on partying.

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And he offered to buy me a drink.
And I said, "Okay, yeah, thank you."

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I drank it, and then…

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Yeah. From there, I just started to feel
really, really sick.

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And then I just started to throw up a lot,
while laying down on my side.

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I didn't have any control over my body,
and so I would just fall down.

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And I remember, just… I could not move.

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And I remember not even being able to see.

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I was so scared.
I thought, "I'm going blind."

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I remember thinking
this is how I was gonna die.

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And I was gonna die in that bathroom.

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He said to my friends,
"You guys go and have more fun."

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"I'll take care of Zora."

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"I'll bring her back to the apartment,
and she'll be fine. It'll be safe."

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He just kept on pushing
and pushing and pushing,

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and telling people
to leave me alone with him.

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I'm so, so grateful for my friends for,
you know, being smart enough.

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My friends were like,
"No, we stick together."

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Thank goodness.

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It was so great
that they were able to protect me.

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After I was drugged,
I thought maybe it was the bartender.

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Maybe some stranger at the bar.

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I never in a million years
would have thought it was Manu.

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And it wasn't until a few years after
I saw there was a website

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I think Gabrielle started.

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And when I looked it up, I saw everything.

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And then it clicked.

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I told Gabrielle that I was happy to do
whatever I could do to lock this man up.

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Because he is an awful criminal.

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And I actually ended up
going back to Portugal.

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And while I was there,

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I filed a police report
about being drugged by him.

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This is the police report that I filed.

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POLICE

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THE COMPLAINANT IS THE VICTIM

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KNOWN SUSPECT
MANUEL BLANCO VELA

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CRIMES AGAINST SEXUAL FREEDOM

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And their response to the case…

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It says, "Due to the lack of evidence,
I ordered dismissal

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of the inquiry under Article 277,

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number two,
of the criminal procedure code."

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So you just…

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There's no other way to feel
but worthless.

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I knew it probably
started and ended with me.

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If something happened to me,
this would've fallen apart.

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Gabrielle, a 19-year-old girl,
maybe she was 21

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when she was trying to actually get him.

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And then these girls
would then rely on Gabrielle.

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That was what was so hard for me,
to see these girls relying on Gabrielle

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to get justice for them.

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I really never wanted to speak about it.

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I didn't tell my family or my friends
until the possibility of a trial

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and legal representation came up.

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There's so much at stake,
and there's so much that should…

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needs to be known
about how awful of a person he is,

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that it felt
like an important opportunity.

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I genuinely think people think
that I would have been worn down.

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But I am so goddamn stubborn.

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Gabrielle had a full-time job of being

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our therapist and our secretary,
and also our legal, um…

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like, helper.

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And so, she has had
to wear all these hats,

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while also dealing and coming to terms
with her own trauma.

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You see my binder I have?

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I did the whole fucking investigation.

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It's my best fucking work.

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Here. Here's your fucking case.
Send him to prison.

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Gabrielle Vega contacts me in Spain.

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She tells me what happened.

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I have no doubt that her story is true.

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I explained the legal process to her,
the steps we had to take.

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And also the complexity of the matter,

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given that some of the events
had occurred outside Spain.

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The territory where they occurred
isn't even within the European Union.

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There was also the challenge
of potential witnesses,

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how the events had unfolded…

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The complaint was filed in 2018.

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It's been seven years.

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Why has it taken so long to go to trial?

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Look, this was a clear case.

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The police reports are there.
What are we waiting for?

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So what are you thinking about?
The trial's in another… How many days?

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-Thirteen days.
-What's today?

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-Is it 13 days?
-I think so. Or maybe less.

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What are you thinking about it?

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I'm not. I'm trying to not think about it.

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It's like the only thing I could do is
just not think about it. I don't know.

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Do you think you'd ever be willing
to go back to Spain? What do you think?

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Mmm.

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I don't know. There's been pressure
on me going back to Spain for the trial.

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-Yeah. I can tell.
-I mean, part of me feels like I'll…

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Like, if it doesn't go well,

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that maybe it would have gone differently
if I was in the room.

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But I feel like I would have had
a mental breakdown.

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-Yeah.
-If I went to Spain.

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I just don't wanna think about it.
I'd rather not know.

00:14:46.719 --> 00:14:49.079 align:center
Even if you told me he's
on the other side of the country,

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I still don't know
if I'd feel comfortable going to Spain.

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Only if he's in prison, I would go.

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But if he's not, I think I can make peace
with not going back there again.

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I think you'll feel
a big sense of relief when it's over.

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Yeah.

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Knowing that you've done
everything you can do, right?

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-I don't know what else I could do.
-No, there's nothing else you can do.

00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:13.640 align:center
-There's nothing else.
-Yeah. I don't know.

00:15:24.760 --> 00:15:27.839 align:center
The trial against the Seville tour guide

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accused of having raped
several American students begins.

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He always followed the same pattern.

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He took advantage of the fact
that they were young girls abroad.

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Investigators are convinced this could be
a case of a sexual predator

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because he may have actually assaulted
many other women.

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The defendant was a tour guide

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and the owner
of a travel company in Seville.

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This is him entering
the National Court this morning,

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covering himself with an umbrella.

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That day you find yourself
at the end of the process,

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yet still always uncertain

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as to how the court
will finally evaluate the evidence.

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Part of me wants to see the trial.

00:16:28.199 --> 00:16:30.400 align:center
Because how can I not see this?

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But we're not.
We've decided we're not gonna watch it.

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It would probably be too difficult.

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Good morning.

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Let's begin the hearing.
Counsel, please proceed.

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In addition to Gabrielle, I filed charges

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that I have maintained during the trial,

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on behalf of two other women
who were assaulted.

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MAY 2017

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SEXUAL ASSAULT

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What occurred here
were acts of exhibitionism,

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touching, and provocation.

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I had asked the women
who would wanna go on.

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And it was basically me,

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and then Hayley
and Carly stepped up to that.

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Amanda Gormsen
was another one of the victims.

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At the time, we supported her complaint.

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What the court required from us
was a power of attorney for litigation.

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Before proceedings began,
an appeal for reconsideration was filed

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regarding the legal representation
of Amanda Gormsen.

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However, given that the trial
was starting today,

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we've already issued an order
rejecting the appeal for reconsideration.

00:17:58.399 --> 00:18:02.600 align:center
And we now inform you accordingly.

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I filed the appeal, and it was dismissed.

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The only thing it would have done
is lead to a suspension, a debate,

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which, in any case, would have resulted
in further delays in the proceedings.

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It's a failure
across a lot of different systems.

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I think, even when you try,

00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.720 align:center
you can't actually
get anything accomplished,

00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:29.280 align:center
or get results or closure

00:18:29.360 --> 00:18:33.360 align:center
because the systems are
so confusing and slow,

00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:37.080 align:center
and, um… unclear.

00:18:37.159 --> 00:18:39.480 align:center
So even if you attempt,

00:18:39.560 --> 00:18:43.360 align:center
it feels, like, futile to continue.

00:18:44.919 --> 00:18:47.240 align:center
The criminal act doesn't disappear

00:18:47.320 --> 00:18:50.560 align:center
just because the court
has not accepted you as the accuser.

00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:52.760 align:center
The accusation remains.
The act was not erased.

00:18:52.840 --> 00:18:54.320 align:center
The offense still stands,

00:18:54.399 --> 00:18:57.720 align:center
and the possibility
of filing a complaint continues.

00:18:57.800 --> 00:18:59.760 align:center
I'm disappointed a little.

00:18:59.840 --> 00:19:03.679 align:center
I'm nervous because I had all these women,
and now it's just me and

00:19:03.760 --> 00:19:07.480 align:center
two other women, the original two.

00:19:07.560 --> 00:19:11.080 align:center
When there were a lot of women
who wanted to be part of this case.

00:19:16.040 --> 00:19:19.360 align:center
It's time for the defendant to testify.

00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:23.560 align:center
Please sit there
in one of these first chairs,

00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:26.280 align:center
and move the microphone close to you.

00:19:27.399 --> 00:19:30.080 align:center
To encounter a person like this,

00:19:30.159 --> 00:19:36.919 align:center
with that, shall we say,
ease to commit crimes he has had…

00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:40.800 align:center
We have had cases in Spain
of, perhaps, a serial rapist.

00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:43.800 align:center
But in that case,
maybe there were four or five assaults.

00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:45.840 align:center
Which is already a lot.

00:19:45.919 --> 00:19:49.840 align:center
But in this case, it goes far beyond that.
It is beyond comprehension.

00:19:52.919 --> 00:19:57.720 align:center
As the defendant in this trial,
you have the right not to plead guilty,

00:19:57.800 --> 00:20:01.600 align:center
not to testify against yourself,
or not testify at all.

00:20:03.760 --> 00:20:10.320 align:center
I'd be really surprised
if the case ended in a conviction.

00:20:11.560 --> 00:20:14.840 align:center
What we have here
is one person's testimony

00:20:14.919 --> 00:20:16.240 align:center
against another's.

00:20:16.320 --> 00:20:19.000 align:center
Do you wish to answer questions
from the prosecutor,

00:20:19.080 --> 00:20:20.960 align:center
the private prosecution, and the defense?

00:20:21.040 --> 00:20:24.360 align:center
I have no problem answering
the questions of the prosecutor,

00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:26.640 align:center
my lawyer, and Your Honor, if you wish.

00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.200 align:center
So you won't answer
the private prosecution.

00:20:29.280 --> 00:20:30.159 align:center
Correct.

00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:33.399 align:center
That was to be expected,
because it is common for the defendant

00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:35.919 align:center
not to answer
opposing counsel's questions.

00:20:37.040 --> 00:20:39.840 align:center
What do you think Manuel will say?

00:20:39.919 --> 00:20:42.720 align:center
I don't know. Probably he won't say
anything that intelligent.

00:20:42.800 --> 00:20:44.679 align:center
I don't fucking know what he's gonna say.

00:20:44.760 --> 00:20:47.600 align:center
"It didn't happen."
"Never seen this girl in my life."

00:20:47.679 --> 00:20:49.200 align:center
I don't know what he'll say.

00:20:49.280 --> 00:20:53.640 align:center
Anything this guy says, it's like,
why would I give a fuck?

00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:55.600 align:center
The defense.

00:20:55.679 --> 00:20:57.440 align:center
With your permission, Your Honor.

00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.480 align:center
Manuel.

00:21:00.080 --> 00:21:03.560 align:center
Regarding the trip to Morocco
on November 2,

00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:07.919 align:center
do you deny having had any kind
of relationship with Gabrielle Vega?

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.440 align:center
No relationship at all.

00:21:09.520 --> 00:21:12.040 align:center
Can you tell us
what happened in that room?

00:21:13.120 --> 00:21:17.040 align:center
I remember that I went
with the three girls.

00:21:17.120 --> 00:21:19.880 align:center
I saw them upstairs in the café.

00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:25.840 align:center
There was a café-bar upstairs.

00:21:25.919 --> 00:21:29.560 align:center
From there, we went to the room
and ordered champagne, I think.

00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:33.240 align:center
I drank a glass,
and about one hour later, I left.

00:21:33.320 --> 00:21:34.960 align:center
That's what happened.

00:21:35.040 --> 00:21:38.800 align:center
You did not have any sexual interaction
with any of the…?

00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:40.040 align:center
Not at all.

00:21:41.679 --> 00:21:43.640 align:center
No further questions, Your Honor.

00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:47.080 align:center
This man was going
to keep denying everything,

00:21:47.159 --> 00:21:50.480 align:center
as he had up to the trial,
where he continued denying it.

00:21:50.560 --> 00:21:53.919 align:center
Very well.
The state prosecutor has the floor.

00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:55.280 align:center
Good afternoon.

00:21:55.360 --> 00:21:58.640 align:center
Regarding Gabrielle's account,

00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:02.679 align:center
apart from denying it,

00:22:02.760 --> 00:22:08.560 align:center
you stated that you did not recognize
Gabrielle's face or name.

00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.840 align:center
Do you maintain that statement?

00:22:10.919 --> 00:22:15.480 align:center
I learned about this
through the Internet, in 20…

00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:17.679 align:center
No. I'm not referring to the events.

00:22:17.760 --> 00:22:21.880 align:center
I'm referring to what you said
about not remembering her face or name,

00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:24.960 align:center
and that you only saw them
on social media.

00:22:25.040 --> 00:22:27.240 align:center
You had never seen her before?

00:22:27.320 --> 00:22:30.080 align:center
Through… As a result of the trip.

00:22:30.159 --> 00:22:32.120 align:center
So you had, in fact, seen her.

00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:34.120 align:center
Yes, but I… You see, I must've seen…

00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.000 align:center
I probably had seen her,
but I didn't remember her

00:22:37.080 --> 00:22:38.760 align:center
when I saw her on TV saying that.

00:22:38.840 --> 00:22:41.320 align:center
I know exactly
who I've had relationships with,

00:22:41.399 --> 00:22:44.120 align:center
and I haven't had any type of relationship
with that person.

00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:48.159 align:center
I saw him with the conviction

00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:50.159 align:center
and, excuse the expression, cockiness,

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.919 align:center
of, "Nothing will happen to me
because I did nothing."

00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.439 align:center
But that is completely false
because he did.

00:22:55.520 --> 00:22:58.560 align:center
On trips, you travel with many people.

00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:01.600 align:center
I can't remember
all the faces of the people I meet.

00:23:01.679 --> 00:23:05.960 align:center
At that time, in 2013,

00:23:06.040 --> 00:23:09.640 align:center
you were the administrator
of Voodoo Travel.

00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:13.520 align:center
Voodoo Travel was the legal name
for tax and accounting purposes.

00:23:13.600 --> 00:23:16.679 align:center
And Discover Excursions
is the commercial name.

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:19.000 align:center
You started out as an intern?

00:23:19.080 --> 00:23:24.800 align:center
Yes. I started there in 2010,
I think, as an intern.

00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.399 align:center
Then I was an employee. Then the director.

00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:31.159 align:center
And then they sold me the company.

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:34.960 align:center
We updated the website
and made changes in the office as well.

00:23:35.439 --> 00:23:38.280 align:center
The company was almost bankrupt.

00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:40.159 align:center
Their finances weren't good.

00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:45.600 align:center
And he turned it around
by flooding universities with advertising.

00:23:45.679 --> 00:23:49.640 align:center
He went to universities all over Spain,
and even across Europe,

00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:53.520 align:center
distributing posters and brochures,

00:23:53.600 --> 00:23:55.640 align:center
promoting their services

00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:58.439 align:center
and offering very competitive prices

00:23:58.520 --> 00:24:00.120 align:center
to get people to book with him.

00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:05.600 align:center
And when this happened in 2018,
the company was doing very well.

00:24:05.679 --> 00:24:11.240 align:center
We ended up closing in 2018 as a result
of these girls' television appearances.

00:24:11.320 --> 00:24:14.240 align:center
Did you have an unusual relationship

00:24:14.320 --> 00:24:18.040 align:center
with your clients,
taking them to your rooms?

00:24:18.120 --> 00:24:19.560 align:center
Or how did that work?

00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:23.200 align:center
I, personally,
during the time I worked at that company,

00:24:23.280 --> 00:24:28.840 align:center
I had some relationships with girls
on trips, but it was always consensual.

00:24:29.600 --> 00:24:34.600 align:center
You also stated that, on many occasions,
clients fell asleep in your house

00:24:34.679 --> 00:24:36.439 align:center
and nothing happened.

00:24:37.040 --> 00:24:39.679 align:center
Let's see, clients didn't come
to my house.

00:24:39.760 --> 00:24:41.360 align:center
In my personal life,

00:24:41.439 --> 00:24:44.439 align:center
am I not allowed to get involved
with people? Just asking.

00:24:46.600 --> 00:24:50.000 align:center
Rhetorical question.
Please proceed, Prosecutor.

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:52.919 align:center
No further questions, Your Honor.

00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:55.000 align:center
You may take a seat in the back.

00:24:55.080 --> 00:24:56.120 align:center
Thank you.

00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:01.520 align:center
It's just funny.

00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.720 align:center
I spent so much of my life
working on this, and then to see

00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:09.439 align:center
him on the stand for 15 minutes,

00:25:09.520 --> 00:25:12.840 align:center
almost laughing at points,
contradicting himself,

00:25:12.919 --> 00:25:15.640 align:center
lying, saying he's never seen me
in his life.

00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:21.040 align:center
Meanwhile, my whole life
was almost destroyed because of it.

00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:27.679 align:center
Manuel Blanco maintained
the same version of events,

00:25:27.760 --> 00:25:30.880 align:center
asserting his complete innocence
and having done nothing serious.

00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:35.800 align:center
He has that right to lie, which I oppose.

00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:37.159 align:center
There he is.

00:25:38.080 --> 00:25:39.120 align:center
There he is.

00:25:43.199 --> 00:25:45.960 align:center
Think you're going to jail?

00:25:46.040 --> 00:25:47.600 align:center
-Are you laughing?
-I'm not.

00:25:47.679 --> 00:25:49.840 align:center
-Anything to say to the victims?
-No, sorry.

00:25:49.919 --> 00:25:50.960 align:center
Why not?

00:25:51.040 --> 00:25:55.480 align:center
Tell me. How is it possible that all
of their statements are so similar?

00:25:55.560 --> 00:25:57.320 align:center
-Don't touch me.
-Stop.

00:25:57.399 --> 00:25:58.800 align:center
I'm just talking to you.

00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:03.439 align:center
If they don't know each other,
how do all their statements match?

00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:43.159 align:center
It's still dark
here at 7:10 in the morning.

00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:47.040 align:center
It's a very big day for me.

00:26:47.120 --> 00:26:49.520 align:center
Everything I've been working for
all these years,

00:26:49.600 --> 00:26:55.280 align:center
to just be able to hold him accountable
and say what happened to me.

00:26:56.520 --> 00:26:57.760 align:center
And…

00:27:03.679 --> 00:27:06.280 align:center
And to just get my life back.

00:27:12.360 --> 00:27:15.159 align:center
So, we'll see what happens.

00:27:22.840 --> 00:27:26.720 align:center
It's true that Gabrielle's
testimony is very solid, consistent.

00:27:26.800 --> 00:27:31.320 align:center
But she won't travel to Spain to testify.
She'll do it by videoconference.

00:27:36.520 --> 00:27:39.439 align:center
I've always been in favor
of doing it in person.

00:27:39.520 --> 00:27:40.720 align:center
But there was a problem.

00:27:40.800 --> 00:27:44.320 align:center
It was coming face to face
with the aggressor, which is distressing.

00:27:44.399 --> 00:27:48.679 align:center
What worried her
was the fact that he would be nearby.

00:27:48.760 --> 00:27:52.960 align:center
The possibility of running into him
in a hallway or somewhere terrified her.

00:27:54.080 --> 00:27:56.040 align:center
Morning there in the US.

00:27:56.120 --> 00:27:58.520 align:center
This is the National High Court speaking.

00:27:58.600 --> 00:28:02.480 align:center
And the judge would like you to state
your full name aloud, please.

00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:04.480 align:center
Gabrielle Nicole Vega.

00:28:05.159 --> 00:28:07.919 align:center
If the victim gives a solid statement,

00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.960 align:center
as in her testimony to NBC,
the case could end in a conviction.

00:28:12.040 --> 00:28:16.159 align:center
But if she doesn't,
it will be much more difficult.

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:20.760 align:center
-Do you swear to tell the truth?
-Yes.

00:28:21.560 --> 00:28:25.120 align:center
Respond
to the questions from the prosecutor.

00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:29.399 align:center
If it please Your Honor,
can you tell the judges

00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:35.679 align:center
what you remember
from the night of November 2, 2013?

00:28:35.760 --> 00:28:39.640 align:center
Yeah. So,
I had fallen asleep, and at one point,

00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:42.480 align:center
I don't know how long I was asleep,
but I had woken up.

00:28:45.879 --> 00:28:49.439 align:center
No one was in the room,
and I was very confused.

00:28:49.520 --> 00:28:51.840 align:center
But I knew I should go to the bathroom.

00:28:51.919 --> 00:28:53.840 align:center
So, I opened the bathroom door,

00:28:53.919 --> 00:28:58.480 align:center
and I saw Nicole, Ashley
and Manuel in the shower together.

00:28:59.080 --> 00:29:01.199 align:center
And so, I closed the door when I saw them.

00:29:01.280 --> 00:29:05.240 align:center
And the three of them
came out of the bathroom.

00:29:07.360 --> 00:29:10.679 align:center
And I went in to use the toilet.

00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:28.679 align:center
And so, I sat on the toilet.

00:29:29.360 --> 00:29:33.399 align:center
And when I was sitting on the toilet,
I was facing the door.

00:29:33.879 --> 00:29:35.480 align:center
And I didn't lock the door.

00:29:40.040 --> 00:29:41.480 align:center
And, um…

00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.520 align:center
And…

00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:48.520 align:center
All I remember is Manuel coming in.

00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:56.080 align:center
And, um, after that,
the only thing I remember is him

00:29:56.159 --> 00:29:58.919 align:center
forcing me to perform oral sex on him.

00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:02.679 align:center
And then he pushed my head,
and I fell this way.

00:30:02.760 --> 00:30:08.040 align:center
And that was the only thing I remembered
until I woke up the next morning.

00:30:11.520 --> 00:30:16.199 align:center
Her version of events
has always been identical and consistent.

00:30:16.280 --> 00:30:20.199 align:center
Did you have any kind
of physical discomfort

00:30:20.280 --> 00:30:23.720 align:center
at the time you woke up?

00:30:23.800 --> 00:30:27.560 align:center
Yes, when I woke up the next morning,

00:30:27.639 --> 00:30:31.399 align:center
I had pain in my abdomen,
my lower abdomen,

00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:35.959 align:center
and I was extremely sore
in my anal region.

00:30:36.040 --> 00:30:39.760 align:center
And I had bruises on my knees.

00:30:41.639 --> 00:30:44.600 align:center
To clarify, when asked by the prosecutor

00:30:44.679 --> 00:30:47.639 align:center
about where you felt pain,
you referred to the anal area,

00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:49.840 align:center
and then you mentioned the lower abdomen.

00:30:49.919 --> 00:30:52.159 align:center
Were you referring to the vaginal area?

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:53.159 align:center
Yes.

00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:55.800 align:center
I found her forceful, emotional,

00:30:55.879 --> 00:30:57.879 align:center
because she had to relive the situation.

00:30:57.959 --> 00:31:02.000 align:center
And Gabrielle, well,
I think she was very clear and precise

00:31:02.080 --> 00:31:04.600 align:center
in her account and informing the court,

00:31:04.679 --> 00:31:07.760 align:center
not only about how the events unfolded,

00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:11.919 align:center
but also the emotional weight
of that moment and of testifying in court.

00:31:12.760 --> 00:31:14.000 align:center
Defense counsel.

00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:16.879 align:center
When you returned to Spain,

00:31:16.959 --> 00:31:20.919 align:center
did you go to a doctor to have
the injuries you say you had examined?

00:31:21.879 --> 00:31:26.000 align:center
No, I did not
go to the doctor, but I had spoken to…

00:31:26.080 --> 00:31:29.800 align:center
I wanna be clear.
I did not know the language.

00:31:29.879 --> 00:31:33.000 align:center
I did not know how to say
the word "rape" in Spanish,

00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:34.919 align:center
and so I never went.

00:31:37.520 --> 00:31:39.040 align:center
No further questions.

00:31:39.120 --> 00:31:40.679 align:center
Good afternoon, Gabrielle.

00:31:40.760 --> 00:31:45.480 align:center
Have you been affected
in your relationships with other men?

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:51.879 align:center
Yes, I have been.

00:31:52.399 --> 00:31:56.719 align:center
I find it very difficult to have
any intimate relationships with men.

00:31:56.800 --> 00:32:01.000 align:center
I have not been in a real relationship
with any man since then.

00:32:01.080 --> 00:32:04.360 align:center
And I think
it directly correlates to this.

00:32:05.959 --> 00:32:08.800 align:center
Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.

00:32:11.639 --> 00:32:14.719 align:center
Now I'm gonna ask you about the future.

00:32:14.800 --> 00:32:17.600 align:center
-Mm-hmm.
-What do you dream of?

00:32:18.199 --> 00:32:19.639 align:center
What do I dream of?

00:32:25.199 --> 00:32:28.120 align:center
I get real excited about the idea of just…

00:32:29.679 --> 00:32:31.879 align:center
Just, like, having a very simple life.

00:32:38.639 --> 00:32:41.560 align:center
I don't know.
I'm getting a dog after the trial.

00:32:41.639 --> 00:32:46.240 align:center
A little puppy. And it sounds like…
just a little thing, but just like…

00:32:46.320 --> 00:32:50.159 align:center
I'm just excited to just
be out in the countryside.

00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:53.959 align:center
To be outside, to have my dog,
to have my friends,

00:32:54.040 --> 00:32:56.280 align:center
to just, like, go take photographs.

00:32:58.120 --> 00:33:03.120 align:center
Every day, all day, like, paint.
Do the things that I wanna do.

00:33:06.639 --> 00:33:10.159 align:center
As I think even further
into the future, like,

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:12.840 align:center
if I meet someone and I fall in love,

00:33:12.919 --> 00:33:15.840 align:center
and I'm lucky enough
to have a baby one day…

00:33:36.320 --> 00:33:38.679 align:center
I just feel like I'll be able to…

00:33:41.480 --> 00:33:46.159 align:center
know that I did the best I could
to make sure the world is a bit safer.

00:33:55.800 --> 00:33:58.800 align:center
Big day in the trial
against the Seville tour guide

00:33:58.879 --> 00:34:01.520 align:center
accused of sexually assaulting
North American students

00:34:01.600 --> 00:34:03.120 align:center
on the trips he organized.

00:34:04.360 --> 00:34:08.199 align:center
We have two witnesses,
the two girls who were with Gabrielle Vega

00:34:08.279 --> 00:34:11.759 align:center
and Manuel Blanco in the Tangier
hotel room where the events transpired.

00:34:23.600 --> 00:34:24.679 align:center
NATIONAL COURT

00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:27.080 align:center
I have Ashley with me.

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:33.799 align:center
All right. I'll give
the floor to the prosecutor first.

00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:35.080 align:center
Good afternoon.

00:34:35.159 --> 00:34:37.159 align:center
With your permission, Your Honor.

00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:40.839 align:center
You will testify
about what you can remember

00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:46.319 align:center
from a night during which you shared
a hotel room in Tangier

00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.600 align:center
with Gabrielle Vega.

00:34:48.679 --> 00:34:50.000 align:center
Correct.

00:34:50.080 --> 00:34:51.719 align:center
And with Nicole as well.

00:34:52.319 --> 00:34:54.080 align:center
-That is correct.
-Yes.

00:34:56.319 --> 00:35:00.680 align:center
This testimony could be key,
depending on what the two of them say,

00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:04.120 align:center
in determining whether Manuel Blanco
is convicted or acquitted.

00:35:04.200 --> 00:35:05.319 align:center
Um…

00:35:06.799 --> 00:35:10.280 align:center
We were staying
in a room together, the three of us.

00:35:12.240 --> 00:35:17.120 align:center
And the three of us met up that week
when we got back to Salamanca.

00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:31.880 align:center
I started asking them about that night.
I was just like, "Do you guys remember?"

00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:33.000 align:center
"Like…"

00:35:33.839 --> 00:35:37.520 align:center
"He came into the room, and then
I don't really remember anything."

00:35:37.600 --> 00:35:40.799 align:center
And then,
before I had mentioned something,

00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:43.680 align:center
Nicole was like,
"I don't remember anything."

00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:48.680 align:center
And I remember…

00:35:51.240 --> 00:35:52.600 align:center
asking Ashley.

00:35:54.680 --> 00:35:56.760 align:center
"I remember he was in the bathroom."

00:35:57.520 --> 00:36:00.600 align:center
And she told me he was
in the bathroom with me for 30 minutes.

00:36:02.720 --> 00:36:04.920 align:center
And I was like,
"Well, I think I was raped."

00:36:05.640 --> 00:36:07.080 align:center
And it was just, like

00:36:07.839 --> 00:36:09.120 align:center
silent.

00:36:10.640 --> 00:36:15.080 align:center
Because I think they realized
what had happened.

00:36:18.600 --> 00:36:20.799 align:center
We never talked about it again after.

00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:24.319 align:center
Ever.

00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:30.200 align:center
What do you remember from that night?

00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:34.200 align:center
I remember we were in Morocco,

00:36:34.280 --> 00:36:37.280 align:center
and we stayed in the hotel.

00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:43.720 align:center
And then, the leader of the organization,
Manuel, he came up to the room,

00:36:43.799 --> 00:36:47.720 align:center
and he got champagne for us.

00:36:47.799 --> 00:36:53.560 align:center
Then we drank the champagne
and then hung out in the room with Manuel.

00:36:53.640 --> 00:36:59.080 align:center
Do you remember playing
any kind of sexual games

00:36:59.160 --> 00:37:01.600 align:center
with the defendant that night?

00:37:02.120 --> 00:37:04.280 align:center
I do, but not what they were.

00:37:04.359 --> 00:37:10.160 align:center
I do remember him
being flirtatious with the three of us

00:37:10.240 --> 00:37:13.160 align:center
and asking us some questions.

00:37:13.240 --> 00:37:18.520 align:center
But I don't remember specifically
what was happening at that time.

00:37:18.600 --> 00:37:21.080 align:center
At that time, Gabby was getting mad at us

00:37:21.160 --> 00:37:24.680 align:center
because she expressed interest in Manuel.

00:37:26.160 --> 00:37:27.640 align:center
Nicole and I went to bed,

00:37:27.720 --> 00:37:32.080 align:center
and the last thing that I remember is
she was in the bathroom with Manuel.

00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:40.680 align:center
When you say
Manuel and Gabrielle were in the bathroom,

00:37:40.760 --> 00:37:44.400 align:center
is it because you saw them enter it?

00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:49.600 align:center
I feel like I have
a memory of them entering the bathroom.

00:37:52.799 --> 00:37:56.520 align:center
Do you remember if Ashley, you, and Manuel

00:37:56.600 --> 00:38:00.359 align:center
went into the bathroom,
and then Gabrielle came in?

00:38:04.560 --> 00:38:06.400 align:center
No. I do not remember that.

00:38:08.640 --> 00:38:10.240 align:center
No, I don't remember.

00:38:12.600 --> 00:38:13.799 align:center
Defense counsel.

00:38:16.080 --> 00:38:21.319 align:center
Did you notice injuries
on Gabrielle's knees the next morning?

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:25.200 align:center
-I don't remember.
-No.

00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:29.560 align:center
When did you hear
that Gabrielle said Manuel had raped her?

00:38:32.640 --> 00:38:35.400 align:center
I found out about it years later.

00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:38.839 align:center
I didn't see her until it was
on The Today Show years later.

00:38:38.920 --> 00:38:42.080 align:center
-No further questions.
-Thank you.

00:38:42.160 --> 00:38:47.560 align:center
We've finished with the testimony
and can disconnect.

00:38:49.040 --> 00:38:51.680 align:center
The case is submitted for judgment.
You may leave.

00:38:53.880 --> 00:38:55.680 align:center
These testimonies

00:38:55.760 --> 00:39:01.120 align:center
partially contradict the account given
by the main victim, Gabrielle Vega.

00:39:01.799 --> 00:39:04.839 align:center
Their versions of events
contrast with Gabrielle's.

00:39:05.359 --> 00:39:08.760 align:center
The two girls have not provided
any additional witnesses either.

00:39:08.839 --> 00:39:13.440 align:center
If the court takes into account
these witness testimonies,

00:39:13.520 --> 00:39:19.760 align:center
it may end up benefitting the defendant.

00:39:19.839 --> 00:39:22.440 align:center
It would be outrageous to me if this man,

00:39:22.520 --> 00:39:25.760 align:center
and sorry to use this expression,
were to get away scot-free.

00:39:38.080 --> 00:39:41.520 align:center
So it's the day after the trial, and, um…

00:39:42.640 --> 00:39:46.120 align:center
I've been thinking
about what Ashley said during the trial,

00:39:46.600 --> 00:39:49.240 align:center
and how angry she seemed, being there.

00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:56.160 align:center
I mean, I definitely think
she believes I wasn't raped.

00:39:56.240 --> 00:39:58.240 align:center
I have suffered for years because of that.

00:39:58.319 --> 00:40:02.080 align:center
I've literally suffered for 11 years
because of what happened.

00:40:02.160 --> 00:40:05.440 align:center
And somebody can walk into a room and say,

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:08.560 align:center
"Well, they expressed interest."

00:40:10.440 --> 00:40:11.440 align:center
And?

00:40:12.520 --> 00:40:13.520 align:center
And?

00:40:14.080 --> 00:40:16.160 align:center
The concept of consent

00:40:17.799 --> 00:40:19.680 align:center
is so clear.

00:40:20.280 --> 00:40:22.440 align:center
I was completely…

00:40:24.200 --> 00:40:25.920 align:center
incoherent.

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:28.440 align:center
I could not stand on my own.

00:40:31.200 --> 00:40:32.920 align:center
And I was attacked.

00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:42.400 align:center
Where is the consent in that?

00:40:49.400 --> 00:40:51.480 align:center
After the testimony,

00:40:52.240 --> 00:40:54.600 align:center
I contacted her. I wrote to her.

00:40:54.680 --> 00:40:57.839 align:center
I told her how the trial had gone
and shared my impressions,

00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:00.359 align:center
and that we just had to wait
for the ruling.

00:41:00.440 --> 00:41:03.160 align:center
That I was confident
it would result in a conviction.

00:41:03.240 --> 00:41:08.480 align:center
And I also told her that in the event
that Manuel Blanco were acquitted,

00:41:08.560 --> 00:41:13.200 align:center
unless she decided otherwise,
my position would be to appeal.

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:16.120 align:center
I don't want to appeal.

00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:21.319 align:center
Whatever happens, I… I… I can't, um…

00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:23.319 align:center
keep doing this.

00:41:23.400 --> 00:41:27.160 align:center
I can do it. I could do it.

00:41:27.240 --> 00:41:32.120 align:center
I'm capable of it.
But I don't wanna do it anymore.

00:41:35.799 --> 00:41:39.960 align:center
In my heart, I know that she's
gonna be the one that takes this guy down.

00:41:40.040 --> 00:41:44.120 align:center
He's gonna be sorry he ever met her,
that he ever saw her name.

00:41:44.200 --> 00:41:46.760 align:center
I'm sure he already is sorry.

00:41:46.839 --> 00:41:48.440 align:center
And then I think to myself,

00:41:48.520 --> 00:41:50.839 align:center
if it doesn't go how we want it to go,

00:41:50.920 --> 00:41:55.600 align:center
there's gonna be a lot of other girls
that see this show we're filming today,

00:41:55.680 --> 00:41:58.960 align:center
and they're gonna, you know… Exposing him.

00:41:59.040 --> 00:42:01.720 align:center
There are gonna be victims
that we don't know about.

00:42:01.799 --> 00:42:07.520 align:center
I'm sure some of those girls will be
willing to put him through the process.

00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:10.760 align:center
I want him to be put away.

00:42:10.839 --> 00:42:16.799 align:center
I want him to be off the streets
and no longer a threat to women.

00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:19.760 align:center
But I also…
I want this to be done for her.

00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:22.600 align:center
She doesn't…

00:42:23.720 --> 00:42:24.960 align:center
I care deeply about her.

00:42:25.040 --> 00:42:27.680 align:center
She does not deserve
to have to relive this

00:42:28.359 --> 00:42:30.120 align:center
over and over and over again.

00:42:30.200 --> 00:42:32.280 align:center
She deserves to be free of it,

00:42:32.359 --> 00:42:36.600 align:center
and she's not gonna be free
until after this trial.

00:42:38.720 --> 00:42:42.120 align:center
He completely affected how she's able…

00:42:42.200 --> 00:42:44.880 align:center
how all of us are able
to move through the world,

00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:46.520 align:center
and our mental health.

00:42:46.600 --> 00:42:51.040 align:center
Yeah, I just hope
that there's justice in that regard.

00:42:51.120 --> 00:42:53.440 align:center
That, um…

00:42:53.960 --> 00:42:58.600 align:center
he's able to be recognized as a rapist
and recognized as a predator.

00:42:58.680 --> 00:43:02.880 align:center
And that we get
some sort of closure in that regard.

00:43:03.640 --> 00:43:06.440 align:center
I am very cynical

00:43:06.520 --> 00:43:11.680 align:center
when it comes to women receiving justice
for these kinds of crimes.

00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:15.200 align:center
I hope that it does…
it does go somewhere.

00:43:16.080 --> 00:43:17.720 align:center
I think he'll be found guilty.

00:43:17.799 --> 00:43:20.440 align:center
He should probably spend
the rest of his life in prison.

00:43:21.160 --> 00:43:24.560 align:center
I think a lot of women know

00:43:24.640 --> 00:43:27.839 align:center
that it's incredibly difficult
to get convictions.

00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:30.600 align:center
So I at least hope
that this case can bring

00:43:30.680 --> 00:43:32.640 align:center
more public notoriety to him.

00:43:32.720 --> 00:43:34.560 align:center
He deserves it. He's a terrible person.

00:43:36.879 --> 00:43:39.680 align:center
I'm not afraid
because I'm telling the truth.

00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:43.120 align:center
He's the one who should be afraid.
And I think that he is.

00:43:43.200 --> 00:43:45.200 align:center
There are people like this out there.

00:43:45.280 --> 00:43:49.799 align:center
And it can be so hard
to… to really accept that.

00:43:50.319 --> 00:43:53.680 align:center
Because if you really understood
how many monsters are out there…

00:43:53.760 --> 00:43:57.120 align:center
Oh my God, you wouldn't
wanna leave your house.

00:43:58.040 --> 00:44:01.440 align:center
This idea that
it doesn't happen in my world,

00:44:01.520 --> 00:44:03.600 align:center
I think needs to be reconsidered,

00:44:03.680 --> 00:44:06.720 align:center
because it happens more
than we want to acknowledge.

00:44:07.319 --> 00:44:10.200 align:center
I have to believe
that he'll be held responsible

00:44:10.280 --> 00:44:15.319 align:center
because I think men keep doing this,
thinking that they won't be.

00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:18.120 align:center
Something has to change.

00:44:18.839 --> 00:44:20.960 align:center
We're here
because we aren't afraid of him.

00:44:21.040 --> 00:44:23.319 align:center
There was nothing special about you.

00:44:23.400 --> 00:44:28.120 align:center
You were just somebody who chose
your victims because we were vulnerable,

00:44:28.200 --> 00:44:31.200 align:center
and because you thought
that we would be quiet about it.

00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:32.520 align:center
And you were wrong.

00:44:32.600 --> 00:44:37.280 align:center
I think that he knows that it's like…
That this is the end of the story for him.

00:44:59.240 --> 00:45:00.200 align:center
Hi.

00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:02.520 align:center
Hi. Good morning, Gabrielle.

00:45:02.600 --> 00:45:04.000 align:center
I have a feeling.

00:45:04.080 --> 00:45:06.280 align:center
Do you have a feeling? What feeling?

00:45:06.359 --> 00:45:07.319 align:center
Is it a verdict?

00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:10.080 align:center
-Yes.
-Okay.

00:45:11.160 --> 00:45:12.640 align:center
He's guilty.

00:45:28.520 --> 00:45:29.960 align:center
Let me call my dad.

00:45:44.200 --> 00:45:45.240 align:center
We know!

00:45:45.319 --> 00:45:47.040 align:center
How do you know?

00:45:47.120 --> 00:45:48.400 align:center
Ana called us.

00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:50.680 align:center
Ana was talking to me when you called…

00:45:50.760 --> 00:45:54.480 align:center
Gabby! It's so amazing! You did it!

00:45:57.760 --> 00:45:59.400 align:center
Oh my God.

00:46:01.640 --> 00:46:03.440 align:center
Can you believe it?

00:46:05.560 --> 00:46:06.799 align:center
No.

00:46:12.879 --> 00:46:15.280 align:center
-It's so awesome.
-I know.

00:46:16.160 --> 00:46:17.480 align:center
I know.

00:46:18.160 --> 00:46:20.760 align:center
I literally can't believe it.

00:46:20.839 --> 00:46:25.560 align:center
I'm in shock. I mean,
I wanted to believe it, but I'm in shock.

00:46:26.280 --> 00:46:27.600 align:center
Me too.

00:46:52.720 --> 00:46:53.760 align:center
Okay.

00:46:57.920 --> 00:46:59.359 align:center
I…

00:47:00.440 --> 00:47:06.359 align:center
genuinely have no idea how to even begin.

00:47:06.440 --> 00:47:08.400 align:center
So far,

00:47:09.600 --> 00:47:13.319 align:center
this, today, February 12, 2025,

00:47:13.400 --> 00:47:17.879 align:center
is the best day of my life,
and I will never forget it.

00:47:19.560 --> 00:47:21.960 align:center
I'm gonna go move to the countryside.

00:47:22.440 --> 00:47:26.760 align:center
And I'm gonna buy myself a mule,
and I'm gonna name her Gabby.

00:47:27.640 --> 00:47:30.600 align:center
And every day that I look at that mule,

00:47:30.680 --> 00:47:35.480 align:center
I'm just gonna be reminded
of something that is stubborn and loving

00:47:35.560 --> 00:47:37.280 align:center
and full of fucking perseverance,

00:47:37.359 --> 00:47:40.680 align:center
and that you can do
whatever the fuck you want in this life,

00:47:40.760 --> 00:47:42.680 align:center
as long as you are honest and true.

00:47:42.760 --> 00:47:45.280 align:center
And you can send bad guys to prison.

00:47:47.200 --> 00:47:50.160 align:center
It's the fucking best feeling
in the world, if you ask me.
,