The true crime story of a mother who burned her daughter’s rapist to death is the subject of a new Spanish TV documentary series

A mother from the province of Alicante’s thirst for revenge against the man who raped her daughter is the subject of a new TV documentary series entitled “Hell on Earth – The Case of Veronica”.

The three-part series, which will air on HBO Max in Spain, tells the story of Maria del Carmen Garcia from Benejuzar, who burned her daughter’s rapist alive after he taunted her in the street.

The incident – and what led to it – became major national news and the documentary features interviews with Maria and her daughter Veronica Rodriguez Garcia.

Back in 1998, 13-year-old Veronica accused her neighbor Antonio Cosme of sexual abuse.

In October of the same year he attacked her at knifepoint and raped her.

Cosme used his familiarity with Veronica to lure her into a vulnerable situation where he then subjected her to a traumatic experience.

The attack divided Benejuzar, with some residents supporting the Garcias while others trashed Veronica’s report and denied the terrible crime committed by a well-known figure in the city.

Veronica’s mother’s primary focus remained seeking justice, but the slow pace of the trial and constant reminders of the traumatic event took a toll on her mental health.

In 2000, Cosme was finally found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison.

There were no segregation provisions in his trial, allowing him to taunt the minor victim in open court and aggressively question his lawyers.

After five years behind bars, he was granted parole in 2005 without first telling Maria or Veronica about his release.

Cosme taunted Maria on the street, asked how her daughter was and told Maria to go to the nearest gas station.

She bought a bottle of petrol, doused him with it and set him on fire in a bar – he died ten days later.

Maria del Carmen was released on bail and in 2006 around 400 Benejuzar residents took to the streets to protest that she was still free.

In July 2009, María was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for premeditated murder.

The following year, the Supreme Court reduced her sentence to five and a half years after allowing a defense of temporary insanity.

After her release, she moved to Murcia to live with her daughter.

It was a story that was constantly in the headlines and at the same time a reflection of a different era in which sexual abuse was not treated seriously enough and the justice system appeared to be biased against the victim.

In “Hell on Earth – The Veronica Case,” directed by Elena Molina, Maria and Veronica both tell their stories in front of the camera.