In 1998, María del Carmen García from Benejúzar, Alicante, took drastic action against her daughter’s rapist, Antonio Cosme, who had been released from prison after serving seven years of a nine-year sentence. When Cosme taunted her about her daughter, García bought gasoline, found him, and set him on fire. Cosme succumbed to his injuries a week later, leading to García’s conviction and a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence in 2009.
The incident divided the local community, with some supporting García while others questioned her actions. Her conviction sparked petitions and appeals, resulting in her sentence being reduced to five-and-a-half years in 2010 due to temporary insanity. However, her plea for pardon was denied in 2013. García was finally released from prison in 2018, after which her story became the subject of the HBO Max documentary series “Hell on Earth: The Verónica Case.”
The documentary highlights the intense struggle and the mixed reactions García faced. It reveals her motivation to share her side of the story, as many in her village still doubted her and her daughter’s accounts. The series captures the pain and protective instincts of a mother trying to seek justice for her daughter amidst a community divided by the crime.
García’s daughter, Verónica, supports her mother in dealing with the media, emphasizing the enduring bond between them. The case continues to evoke strong emotions and debate, reflecting broader societal issues about justice and the lengths one might go to protect loved ones.
