A Spanish court has sentenced Xabier Ron Fernández, a former regional deputy in Galicia, to nine-and-a-half years in prison for the continuous sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl who had been his pupil.
The ruling, issued by the Provincial Court of La Coruña on July 1, includes a 19-and-a-half-year restraining and no-contact order, ten years of supervised release after prison, and €82,000 in compensation to the victim.
Ron, a high school teacher, will not be able to practice his profession for 15 years, since he has been prohibited from all work contact, paid or not, with minors.
He has been in pretrial detention for a year since he was arrested on January 28, 2025 by the Civil Guard.
Xabier Ron served as a deputy in the Galician Parliament for Alternativa Galega de Esquerda (AGE), a left-wing coalition in 2012 led by figures including Xosé Manuel Beiras and current Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault involving sadistic practices.
The court found that he abused his position as the girl’s teacher, subjecting her to repeated assaults at his home and transmitting primary syphilis.
The victim’s young age and the transmission of a serious sexually transmitted infection were cited as aggravating factors in the sentencing.
Ron accepted all the accusations that were charged without further explanation via a video conference from prison.
The offences took place in October and November of the relevant year.
According to reports, Ron sent inappropriate photos and videos to the victim before the assaults and used elements such as a “submissive collar” during the acts.
Ron also admitted abusing his position as the girl’s teacher and the position of trust it created to foster emotional dependence, which he then exploited to carry out the repeated sexual assaults.
The victim reported the abuse, leading to a trial in which Ron reached a conformity agreement with prosecutors and the private prosecution, avoiding a full public hearing.
Ron was affiliated with Esquerda Unida (United Left) and had been a candidate for mayor of Santiago de Compostela.
His political activity placed him within broader left-wing circles in Galicia before the case emerged.
Spanish media, particularly in Galicia and national outlets have widely covered the sentencing, noting his past association with Díaz’s political orbit, though she has not been directly implicated in any wrongdoing.
The case has sparked strong public reaction in Spain.
