Seville Man Extradited from Andorra to Serve 5.5 Years for Child Sex Crimes

A 44-year-old man from Seville has been extradited to Spain after Andorran courts approved his handover to serve a prison sentence for sexual offences committed against minors between 2013 and 2016.

Police carried out the extradition on Thursday morning, delivering the man to Spain's National Police at the Riu Runer border crossing. He faces five years and six months in prison for a continued offence of sexual assault on a minor and a continued offence of sexual abuse of a minor, as ruled by the Provincial Court of Seville in 2023. In Andorra, such acts would constitute a major sexual assault offence involving rape.

The man had lived in Andorra since 2019 and was arrested in Andorra la Vella last October. Officers acted on a suspicion, triggering international cooperation channels and confirming his presence through Interpol checks. He had been subject to an international arrest warrant issued by the Seville court and circulated by Interpol. Following his detention on orders from prosecutors, he was placed in pre-trial custody at the Penitentiary Centre while extradition proceedings advanced.

The Tribunal de Corts authorised the extradition, a decision later upheld by the Superior Court after the defence appealed. Lawyers argued against the transfer, citing risks to his mental health—including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit, depression and past suicide attempts—as well as family circumstances, such as his wife's illness, the recent death of his biological son and a minor daughter living in Andorra. The man himself stated during hearings that he would prefer to die rather than return to Spain. Prosecutors countered that no exceptional circumstances applied, Spain's prison system could provide necessary medical care and rights protections, and Andorra lacked the legal basis to enforce the sentence locally.

The process also involved heightened security measures after authorities found indications, including a drawn map of the penitentiary centre by the man. The extradition underscores ongoing judicial cooperation between Andorra and Spain on criminal matters.