Castle jumper in the clear
A WOMAN who jumped off Denia castle with her baby in her arms cannot be found criminally liable due to mental illness, Alicante provincial court has found.
She was initially facing up to 20 years in a secure psychiatric unit, but forensics who examined her ahead of the hearing confirmed she is currently stable and medicated, and recommend she continue to be treated as an outpatient.
The accused, holding her baby, stepped over a safety barrier on August 26, 2017, sat on a ledge and, in front of dozens of tourists, threw herself off.
Her 60-metre fall was broken by another safety fence, averting a double tragedy.
Two British holidaymakers raised the alarm, seeing her tangled up in the fence, but upon closer inspection, there was no sign of either mother or baby.
The child’s father appeared minutes later, having received a message from the mother, and suffered a panic attack at the scene.
National Police found the infant, crying, and later, the mother, lying unconscious among the undergrowth.
The baby suffered head injuries, but these did not affect the brain, and fractures in both femurs, which took nine months to heal.
Forensics revealed the mother suffers from schizo-affective personality disorder and ‘hears voices’, aggravated by major depression.
Her distorted thinking, sparked by depression and aural hallucinations, made her believe taking the person she most loved with her to the ‘other side’ would liberate them, court experts said.
Original charges of attempted murder have been dropped on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and as she is now stable, she may be allowed her freedom subject to close monitoring to ensure she continues her treatment.