Netflix's The Asunta Case was released on the platform on April 26, 2024, and depicted the investigative proceedings of the murder of Asunta Basterra. The 13-year-old was found dead on a road in Santiago, Spain in 2013. Her adoptive parents were convicted of the crime and sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment.
Asunta was a Chinese-born girl who was adopted at nine months old by a Spanish couple, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra in 2001. The show goes into the details of Asunta being reported missing in 2013 when she was 12. After her body was recovered, the police arrested Rosario and Alfonso.
The last episode of The Asunta Case shows how the jury came to the decision to convict Rosario and Alfonso. The decision reportedly depended on the fact that Asunta was adopted. This clinched the conviction along with the evidence submitted and the contradictory statements given by the two accused.
The adopted parents were sentenced to serve 18 years in prison. However, the last episode showed that Rosario took her own life while incarcerated while Alfonso claimed to serve his sentence to prove his innocence.
It is worth noting that in reality, the conviction of Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra is doubted to be a mismanaged case by many. This is due to the media's involvement in the case as well as a lack of motive. That being said, Netflix's The Asunta Case tried to give a sketch of different lines of thought.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers and the author's personal opinions.
What did the jury consider about the relationship between the victim and the perpetrators in The Asunta Case?
While going through the evidence provided by the police and giving out their decision, the jury was reportedly influenced by the fact that Asunta was adopted. As The Asunta Case shows, while there was no clear idea of a motive, the jury believed that the Basterra couple could commit the heinous crime since Asunta was adopted.
However, both the accused maintained their innocence and their defense lawyers tried to accuse each other. The prosecution gave the jury evidence including camera footage, Asunta's autopsy report along with contradictory statements from Rosario and claims of Alfonso's violent behavior. After taking all of this into consideration, the jury found the adoptive parents guilty of the murder of their daughter.
There was no specific evidence provided about Asunta being abused by either of her parents or feeling unloved. However, her autopsy report did indicate small doses of Lorazepam being administered over months suggesting the parents' involvement.
The Asunta Case: Who was the new eyewitness?
Towards the end of the trial, the prosecution presented Laura Prieto Iglesias, whom Asunta knew from her French class. Laura claimed to have seen Asunta with her father, Alfonso, on the evening of the day of the crime.
However, Laura's statement contradicted two proven facts. One was the traffic camera footage that showed Rosario and Asunta in a car at the same time. The second was the autopsy report that proved that by evening Asunta was heavily drugged by Lorazepam and could not have moved normally.
However, this only worked to sway the jury to consider Alfonso as an accomplice of Rosario.
The Asunta Case ending explained: What happened to Rosario and Alfonso?
After their conviction by the jury, both the adoptive parents were sentenced to prison for 18 years. While both appealed, it was rejected by the courts. When both were in the Penitentiary Centre of Teixeiro, Spain, Alfonso Basterra wrote to Rosario Porto about wanting to take his own life.
Rosario, who had been struggling with suicidal ideation since she was young, had attempted to take her life before and tried it once again. However, after being moved to Brieva Prison, she ended her life in November 2020 as shown in The Asunta Case.
Alfonso Basterra, on the other hand, is serving his sentence in the Teixeiro Prison. He maintains he is innocent and wants to serve his total prison time to prove his innocence and claims that the truth will eventually reveal itself. Alfonso has also mentioned spending time with his daughter when he is released. However, it is unclear what he means by that.
Was the motive clear by the end of The Asunta Case?
Neither the Netflix series nor the real-life trials have been able to establish a definite motive for Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra to kill Asunta Basterra Porto. It is, however, believed that evidence proved Rosario's direct involvement and that Alfonso played an accomplice. While both claimed innocence, Alfonso insisted his ex-wife would not do such a thing and Rosario's defense lawyer tried to blame Alfonso.
As such, media leaks, public opinion, and a pre-opinionated judge and jury are believed to have botched up the real case. Meanwhile, Netflix's The Asunta Case opens up a few conjectures about possible motives.
After getting a divorce from Alfonso, when Rosario was spurned by her lover, she fell into depression. At this time, a lupus flare-up leading to hospitalization forced her to depend on Alfonso. When Alfonso pointed out that they had Asunta between them as a bond, it is believed that Rosario may have considered taking Asunta out of the equation to free herself from Alfonso.
Alternatively, it is also believed that Rosario Porto may have considered ending her life since she had been struggling with her mental health and was undergoing multiple changes at the time. Some believe that despite this, she may have wondered about Asunta's safety. Thus, in her allegedly unstable mental condition, she may have thought of doing away with Asunta before ending her own life.
Another theory, about Alfonso's motive was s*xual abuse. Many believed that the adoptive father was abusing Asunta and giving her small doses of sleeping drugs to keep her drowsy. Rosario may have intentionally given her a higher dose to save Asunta from Alfonso.
While the motive is as yet unclear, Alfonso Basterra is due for his release in 2031.
The Asunta Case is currently streaming on Netflix.
