Andorran Court Concludes Trial of Doctor Accused of Abusing Underage Son

The Andorran Tribunal de Corts has concluded the trial of a 66-year-old doctor accused of continuous domestic abuse and physical injuries against his then-underage son in two episodes in 2018 and 2021, with prosecutors seeking 18 months of suspended prison time and the private prosecution demanding nearly €7,000 in compensation for the boy's emotional harm, medical treatment, and related costs.

In closing arguments, the defence called for full acquittal, arguing no objective medical evidence supports the alleged assaults and suggesting the boy, now 12, may have exaggerated isolated incidents amid family tensions. Prosecutors and the private prosecution maintained their push for punishment, emphasising the boy's consistent accounts to his mother, school staff, psychologists, and social workers.

The accused, testifying earlier, firmly denied any physical or psychological violence. He described the 2018 incident—when his sons were around 4 and roughly 2—as an effort to separate them during a sibling fight, claiming he only restrained them without choking or throwing the older boy. For the December 2021 episode, with the boys aged 7 and 5, he said he simply pulled them apart amid frequent quarrels, insisting he delivered no punches to the chest. He dismissed the son's statements about beatings and fear as influenced by his surroundings, highlighting seven years of uninterrupted court-ordered visits and the closure of a child protection case after he followed social services guidelines.

The ex-wife, who filed the complaint on legal advice to avoid complicity charges, confirmed she did not witness the events but relayed the boy's descriptions: being grabbed by the neck in 2018 and pushed down then punched in 2021 after resisting a visit. She noted no visible marks, acknowledged the father's consistent visits, and described the boy's sense of unequal treatment toward his brother, contributing to ongoing psychological therapy and medication for post-traumatic stress disorder. She did not ascribe deliberate intent to harm.

A treating psychologist testified that the younger brother witnessed one event but described both as isolated, not habitual violence. She detailed the older boy's history of anxiety, frustration management issues, peer aggression, school bullying, and jealousy toward his sibling—problems that have improved. Another psychologist noted the boy distinguished reality from fantasy and that his accounts aligned with therapy sessions, though exaggeration remained possible. Two social services technicians reported parental conflict and the boy's unease with his father, leading to a family intervention plan that ended positively.

The accused's older son from a prior relationship, present during the 2021 incident, testified he saw no violence against any child and tried mediating amid adult tensions.

No medical reports confirm physical injuries from the alleged incidents. The court will deliberate on a verdict.