Andorra Court Upholds Conviction for Nightclub Breast Groping

Andorra's Superior Court has dismissed an appeal by a young man convicted of deliberately groping a woman's breast at a central Andorra la Vella nightclub, upholding the 12-month conditional prison sentence imposed by the Corts Court.

The incident occurred in the early hours of 5 May 2024 at a nightlife venue. The victim, dancing with her partner and friends, felt an unwanted touch on her breast from an unknown man. She and her partner testified in both the initial trial and the appeal that the contact was intentional and unconsented.

Prosecutors classified the act as minor sexual assault, requesting a 12-month conditional sentence with a four-year suspension period—a penalty the Corts Court approved. The defence appealed on 17 December, seeking full acquittal. They argued the defendant was intoxicated in the crowded, festive environment and had been pushed by another patron, leading to accidental contact on the victim's waist, not her breast.

During the Superior Court hearing, the defence requested review of security camera footage, which they described as dark and low-quality, insisting it could not prove intent beyond reasonable doubt. The defendant reiterated that any touch resulted from the push.

Prosecutors maintained the video showed deliberate action: the man's hand moved under the victim's armpit before quick withdrawal, with her reaction clearly visible—more than a mere brush. The Superior Court's penal chamber rejected the appeal, affirming the Corts Court's analysis. Despite the footage's poor quality, the judges found it, combined with the victim's and her partner's consistent testimonies, sufficient to establish intentional groping.

With the appeal dismissed, the conviction stands firm and executable, reinforcing judicial reliance on witness accounts and audiovisual evidence in nightlife assault cases.