Original subtitles

He is well.

It's a beautiful day and I'm going to knit.

I think I've cried enough. I cried every day.

I think I cried every day the last few days

five weeks.

Sometimes.

I don't know how to express

how I feel.

But I hope that whatever happens, and whatever the result,

May you be at peace soon

and be able to move forward doing the things I want.

And live a very private life where I don't have

to talk about this again.

I hate talking about this.

THE SEVILLE PREDATOR

EPISODE 3: THE JUDGMENT

SEVILLE, SPAIN

MARCH 12, 2019

We now turn to an alert from the United States Embassy.

They talk about a sexual predator in Seville.

Travelers to this city are advised to take extra precautions

to avoid contact with this alleged sex offender.

The US issued a warning about a Seville tourist guide.

According to information from the United States Embassy,

its citizens are being warned about the conduct

which is linked to sexual abuse by this man.

A Sevillian who has a travel agency.

On your website, you have all your data. Including first and last name.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE

When I was going through the process of trying to disseminate information,

I started seeing it on Facebook that there was a new company.

And it had similar marketing to Discover Excursions.

There were former employees of Discover Excursions working there.

The company could be Manuel's and I thought:

“Did he have the courage to open another one?

Same deal again?"

I went to the embassy and said:

"I want you to know that. It's possible he has a new business."

They sent out an alert, a warning to the girls, about him.

SECURITY ALERT

SEVILLE, SPAIN

AGAINST MANUEL BLANCO VELA

I have been in this profession for 22 years and I've never seen an embassy,

from the USA or another country, to issue such an alert.

US ALERT: SEXUAL PREDATOR IN SEVILLE

TOUR GUIDE IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATION

SEXUAL PREDATOR OF STUDENTS

SEXUAL ABUSE IN SEVILLE

I don't remember exactly what it said,

but it was a warning to the Americans be careful.

AMERICANS STUDYING IN SPAIN,

CAUTION IN SITUATIONS INVOLVING ALCOHOL,

ESPECIALLY WITH DRINKS THAT ARE OFFERED TO YOU.

Why did the US do this? Because the research was complex.

The events took place outside Spain.

POLICE INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF INFRINGEMENT

Spain had no way of proving

some of the accusations made against him, that dated back several years.

So this man was free and continued doing the same.

I wasn't afraid.

All this time, I wasn't very scared.

I was just very angry.

I was scared when I realized that I had to write my statement.

I would say that the embassy did his best to help us,

but it was very clear regarding its limitations.

They have never had a case like this before.

And we asked, "Can you help us?"

We didn't know what to do.

How to start a process of rape in Spain?

Who should we talk to?

Several women came to me so I can collect their testimonies.

To then hand them over to the prosecutor.

NEW EMAIL

I asked the women to write their stories,

I answered questions, went to the embassy,

got answers and shared the answers.

Afterwards, I received the form and the women signed.

They sent it and the embassy said: "It has to be in Spanish."

And I thought: "Fucking bastards!"

I decided to call my abuela, who is a tiny Cuban,

asking to translate my rapist's violations.

Perfect. Thank you very much for the help.

This went on for many months.

This is how the embassy helped me, but I did it all.

It was comforting to hear another survivor.

And it was really good to know that someone was doing something.

And I thought, "They're not going to ignore all of us.

With the evidence of so many people who have been through this,

the police will have to do something.”

You know...

When someone doesn't investigate our case,

It's like they tell us that we don't matter.

It's not fair what happened to me.

And I feel bad looking for me at 19 years old.

I didn't deserve this. She was innocent and sweet.

Hello!

I really thought I was going to die.

Manu invited me and my friends to go out.

And he said he would offer me a drink. I thanked him.

I drank it and then…

From then on, I started to feel bad.

I started vomiting nonstop, lying on one side.

I had no control over my body and fell to the side.

I remember I couldn't move.

And I remember not being able to see.

I was so scared I thought I was going to go blind.

I remember thinking that this was how I was going to die.

And I was going to die in that bathroom.

He said to my friends: "Have more fun.

I'll take care of Zora.

I'll take you to the apartment and she will be fine. It will be safe."

He continued to insist

and telling people to leave me with him.

I'm very grateful for my friends have been intelligent.

They said that they were not going to separate from me.

Thank God!

I'm glad they can protect me.

After being drugged, I thought it was the bartender.

Or a stranger at the bar.

I never would have imagined which had been Manu.

And only a few years later I saw that there was a website

that Gabrielle created.

YOUNG GIRL VIOLATED BY TOUR GUIDE

CLOSED

And when I looked it up, I saw it all.

And then I realized.

HELLO, GABRIELLE. I AM ZORA MIHALEY. I HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT MANU.

I told Gabrielle I wanted to help her to arrest that man.

Because he's a horrible criminal.

And I ended up returning to Portugal.

JULY 17, 2021

While there,

I filed a complaint with the police for being drugged by him.

This is the complaint I filed.

And their response to the case…

It says: "Due to lack of evidence, the case will be archived

under article 277,

number two, of the penal code."

Therefore…

I felt useless.

DEAD END

I knew that probably began and would end with me.

If something happened to me, that would have gone down the drain.

Gabrielle was 19 years old, maybe he was 21

when she was trying to catch him.

And the girls trusted her.

It was very difficult for me to see the girls trusting Gabrielle

to do justice for them.

I never wanted to talk about it.

I didn't tell my family or friends until the possibility of a trial

and legal representation have emerged.

There was so much at stake and so many things that should

be made public about what a horrible person he is

that seemed to me an important opportunity.

I really think people thought that I couldn't handle it.

But I'm very stubborn.

Gabrielle I had a full-time job

as our therapist, secretary and also legal assistant.

She had to do a lot of things

while dealing with her own trauma.

Have you seen my dossier?

I did an investigation.

It's my best work.

Here is the case. Arrest him.

MADRID, SPAIN

Gabrielle Vega contacted me in Spain.

She told me what happened.

I have no doubt that her story is true.

I explained to him the legal process, the steps we had to follow.

And also the complexity of the subject,

bearing in mind that some of the events took place outside Spain.

The territory where they took place is not part of the European Union.

There was also the difficulty of potential witnesses,

how events had unfolded…

The complaint was filed in 2018.

Seven years have passed.

Why did it take so long going to trial?

This case was obvious.

He had police reports. What were you waiting for?

TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIAL

What are you thinking about? The trial is in how many days?

- Thirteen days. - What day is it today?

- Is it 13 days? - I think so. Or maybe less.

What are you thinking about?

I'm trying not to think about it.

The only thing I can do is not to think about it. I don't know.

Do you think you'll ever make it go back to Spain?

I don't know. There's a lot of pressure to return to Spain for the trial.

- Yes. Tell me. - Partly, I feel that…

If it doesn't work,

I'll think maybe it would be different, if you had been there.

But I feel like I would have had mental exhaustion,

if it were Spain.

I don't want to think about it. I'd rather not know.

Even though he was on the other side of the country,

I don't know if I would feel comfortable to go to Spain.

I would only go if he was in prison.

But if it's not there, I agree not to go back there.

I think you will feel a lot of relief when this is over.

- Yes. - Knowing that you did everything you could.

- I don't know what else I could do. - You couldn't do anything else.

- Nothing else at all. - Yes. I don't know.

MADRID, SPAIN

JANUARY 27, 2025

The trial begins against the Seville tourist guide

accused of rape of several American students.

He had a pattern.

He took advantage of the fact of being children abroad.

The researchers are convinced that he may be a sexual predator

because he may have abused of many other women.

The defendant was the owner and tour guide from a travel agency in Seville.

That's how he entered the court, this morning,

to cover himself with an umbrella.

The day we arrived at the end of the process,

there is always uncertainty as to how how the court will evaluate the evidence.

Part of me wanted to see the trial. How could I not see?

But we decided not to watch the trial.

It would probably be very difficult.

Excellent. Good morning.

Let the hearing begin. Lawyer, proceed.

In addition to Gabrielle, I filed complaints,

which I maintained at trial,

on behalf of two more women who were attacked.

MAY 2017

SEXUAL AGGRESSION

There were acts of exhibitionism,

touching and teasing.

I asked the women about who wanted to advance.

And basically it was me, Hayley and Carly.

Amanda Gormsen was another of the victims.

At the time, we followed her complaint.

The court required that there be a power of attorney for us to move forward.

NAKED

SCARY SEX

Before the process starts,

was presented an appeal for reconsideration

in relation to legal representation by Amanda Gormsen.

However, given that the trial started today,

we have already issued an order to reject the request for reconsideration.

Therefore, We are communicating our decision.

I submitted the appeal and it was rejected.

If I had insisted, the trial would be suspended,

there would be discussion and that would have resulted further delays in procedures.

I think it's a flaw on many different systems.

I guess even when we try,

we couldn't do anything,

have results or an outcome,

because systems are confusing, slow

and unclear.

So even if we try,

it seems futile to continue.

The criminal act has not disappeared

just because the court did not accept the accusation.

The accusation remains. The act was not deleted.

Crime continues to exist

and the possibility to file a complaint too.

I was a little disappointed.

I got nervous, because there were many women

and it was just me

and two more, the two originals.

When there were many women who wanted to do this.

It's time for the defendant to testify, if you so wish.

Please sit down in one of those first chairs

and move the microphone closer to you.

Being in the same room than a person like that,

with that tranquility

with which he committed the crimes…

We had cases in Spain of a serial rapist.

But in this case, there were four or five attacks.

Which are already many, many.

But in this case, it goes much further than that. It's incomprehensible.

As a defendant in this trial has the right not to plead guilty,

not to testify against yourself or not to testify.

For me it would be a real surprise if the case ended in a conviction.

Here we are talking about testimony of one person against another.

Want to respond to the prosecutor's questions,

of the prosecution and defense?

I have no problem responding to the prosecutor's questions,

from my lawyer and your honor.

Okay, you won't answer to the prosecution's questions.

Correct.

It was to be expected, because it is common for the defendant

not answering questions of the prosecuting attorney.

What do you think Manuel will say?

I don't know. Probably, he won't say something smart.

I don't know what he's going to say.

"It didn't happen. I've never seen this girl in my life."

I don't know what he's going to say.

What do I care what he says?

The defense.

With your permission, Your Honor.

Manuel.

Regarding the trip to Morocco on November 2nd,

denies having had any type of relationship with Gabrielle Vega?

No relationship. None.

Can you tell us what happened in the room?

I remember I went with the three girls.

I saw them at the cafe.

There was a cafe bar at the top.

We went to the room and we ordered champagne, I think.

I drank a glass and, about an hour later, I left.

That's what happened.

He had no sexual interactions with none…

At all.

I have no more questions, Your Honor.

He would continue denying everything,

as he had done until the trial, where he continued to deny.

Very good. I give the floor to the prosecutor.

Good afternoon.

Regarding Gabrielle's report,

besides denying it,

Said he didn't recognize the face or Gabrielle's name.

Do you stand by that statement?

I found out about this on the Internet, in…

I don't mean the events.

I'm referring to what you said about not remembering your face or name

and that I only found out about it through social media.

Never seen her?

I saw her on the trip.

So, I had already seen her.

Yes, but I didn't... I must have seen her.

Probably yes, but I didn't remember her

when I saw her on television talking.

I know exactly who I fucked and I didn't have any kind of relationship with her.

I saw it with conviction and, pardon the expression, arrogance

of those who think nothing will happen to them.

But this is false, because he did.

When traveling, we travel with many people.

I don't remember them all.

At the time, in 2013,

was the administrator of Voodoo Travel.

Voodoo Travel was the cool name for tax and accounting purposes.

E Discover Excursions was the trade name.

Did you start as an intern?

Yes. I joined there in 2010, I think, as an intern.

Then I became an employee and, later, director.

And then they sold the company to me.

We updated the website and made changes. In the office too.

The company was almost bankrupt. The numbers were not good.

And he managed to turn the business around doing marketing for universities.

He went to universities in Spain and Europe

distribute posters and pamphlets,

promoting yourself

and offering very competitive prices

to hire him.

And, when this happened in 2018, the company was doing very well.

We ended up closing in 2018 due to the girls going on television.

Had an unusual relationship

with your customers and took them to their rooms?

How did this work?

During the time I worked at that company,

I had some relationships with girls on trips, but it was always consensual.

He also stated that, often, clients fell asleep in their house

and nothing happened.

Clients didn't come to my house.

In my personal life, I can't have sex with people?

It's a question.

Rhetorical question.

Please proceed.

I have no more questions, Your Honor.

You can sit in the back.

Thanks.

I don't know. It's funny.

I spent a lot of my life working on this and then I saw him

to testify for 15 minutes,

almost laughing at some things, to contradict itself,

lying, saying he never saw me.

However, all my life It was almost destroyed because of it.

Manuel Blanco always maintained the same version of events,

asserting his innocence and saying he didn't do anything.

He has, so to speak, the right to lie, which I oppose.

Here he is.

Here he is.

Manuel, do you think you're going to prison?

- Are you laughing? - No.

- Do you have anything to say to the victims? - No.

Why?

It tells me. How is it possible that all your statements are so similar?

- Don't touch me. - Stop.

I'm just talking to you.

If they don't know each other, How do the statements match?

SECOND DAY OF JUDGMENT

It's still dark here at 7:10 in the morning.

It's a very important day for me.

Everything I worked for all these years,

for him to have to take responsibility and tell me what happened to me.

And…

And to get my life back.

We'll see what happens.

VISITOR

It is true that Gabrielle's testimony It's very consistent.

But she will not testify for Spain. She will do so via videoconference.

I always wanted to be done in person.

But there was a problem.

The problem was facing the aggressor, which is distressing.

She couldn't be close to him.

She was very afraid to find him in a hallway or something.

Good morning to the USA.

This is where the Supreme Court speaks.

The judge wants you to say your full name, please.

Gabrielle Nicole Vega.

If the victim makes a coherent statement,

like his statement to NBC, the case could end in a conviction.

But if you don't, it will be much more difficult.

- Do you swear to tell the truth? - Yes.

First, you will respond to the prosecutor's questions.

With your permission, Your Honor.

You can tell the court

what do you remember the night of November 2, 2013?

Yes. I had fallen asleep and at some point,

I don't know how long I slept, but I woke up.

There was no one in the room and I was very confused.

But I knew I should go to the bathroom.

I opened the bathroom door

and saw Nicole, Ashley and Manuel in the shower.

I closed the door when I saw them.

And the three left the bathroom.

And I went in to use the bathroom.

So I sat on the toilet.

And when I was sitting on the toilet, was facing the door.

And I didn't lock the door.

And…

And…

I just remember Manuel coming in.

And after that, I just remember

of him forcing me to perform oral sex on him.

Then he pushed my head and I fell to the side.

And that's all I remember and then I woke up the next morning.

Her version was always identical and consistent with how everything happened.

Had some type of physical discomfort

When did you wake up?

Yes, when I woke up the next morning,

My stomach hurts at the bottom

and it was very painful in my anal region.

And he had bruises on his knees.

A clarification, when asked by the prosecutor

in relation to having felt pain, reported the anal region

and also mentioned the lower part of the belly.

Were you referring to the vaginal area?

Yes.

I found her very convincing and emotional, because she had to relive the situation.

I think Gabrielle it was very clear and precise

when narrating and informing the court,

not only about how events unfolded,

but also about the emotional weight of the moment and to testify in court.

Defense lawyer.

When he returned to Spain,

Did you go to the doctor to be examined?

No, I didn't go to the doctor, but I spoke to...

I want to be clear. I didn't know the language.

I didn't know how to say "violation" in Spanish, so I didn't go.

I have no more questions.

Good afternoon, Gabrielle.

This affected your relationships with other men?

Yes.

It's very difficult for me have intimate relationships with men.

I've never had a serious relationship with anyone since then.

And this is directly related with this.

Thank you very much.

We have no more questions.

Now, I'm going to ask you about the future.

What do you dream about?

What do I dream about?

I get excited just thinking about it

to have a simple life.

I don't know. I'm getting a dog after the trial.

A little dog. And it seems silly, but like…

I'm excited to be on the field.

For being in nature, for having my dog, for having my friends

and for taking photos.

I want to paint every day. I want to do what I like.

If you think beyond, into the future,

if I meet someone, if I fall in love

and you're lucky enough to have a baby...

I feel like I'll know...

…that I did my best to ensure that the world is a little safer.

A key day in the trial against the Seville tourist guide

accused of abusing North American students

on the trips he organized.

We have two witnesses,

the two girls who were with Gabrielle Vega

and Manuel Blanco Vela in the hotel room where it all happened.

CALL

I have Ashley with me.

Very good.

I'll give the floor to the prosecutor.

Good afternoon.

With your permission, Your Honor.

You will testify about what you remember

of a night he shared a hotel room in Tangier

with Gabrielle Vega.

Correct.

And with Nicole too.

- Correct. - Yes.

This testimony can be essential, depending on what they both say,

to determine whether Manuel Blanco is convicted or acquitted.

The three of us stayed together in a room.

And we met that week, when we returned to Salamanca.

NOVEMBER 2013

I asked them about that night, I asked if they remembered.

Like…

I said, "He came into the room and I don't remember anything."

And then, before I said anything,

Nicole said: "I don't remember anything."

And I remember...

…to ask Ashley.

I remember he went to the bathroom.

She told me he was there with me for 30 minutes.

And I said, "I think I was raped."

And it was done

silence.

Because I think they understand what had happened.

We never spoke about it again.

Never.

What do you remember from that night?

I remember we were in Morocco

and we stayed at the hotel.

Then, the leader of the organization, Manuel, he went to our room

and ordered champagne for us.

We drink the champagne and we stayed in the room with Manuel.

Do you remember playing sex games

with the defendant that night?

Yes, but I don't remember which games they were.

I remember him flirting with us

and to ask us questions.

But I don't remember specifically of what happened at the time.

At that moment, Gabby got angry

because she had shown interest at Manoel.

Nicole and I went to bed

and I just remember her being in the bathroom with Manuel.

When you say that Manuel and Gabrielle they were in the bathroom,

Did you see them coming in?

I feel like I have a memory of them entering the bathroom.

Do you remember if you, lady, Ashley and Manuel

went to take a shower and then Gabrielle came in?

No, I don't remember that.

No, I don't remember.

Defense lawyer.

They noticed the injuries on the knees from Gabrielle the next morning?

I don't remember.

No.

When they found out that Gabrielle Did you think Manuel had raped you?

I found out about this years later.

I only found out when the news broke on The Today Show.

- I have no more questions. - Thank you very much.

The testimony is over and we can hang up.

The case is submitted for trial. You can leave.

The testimonies

partially contradict the report of the main victim, Gabrielle Vega.

Their versions differ Gabrielle's version.

The two girls didn't give in either additional witnesses.

If the court takes into account these testimonies,

the defendant may end up for benefiting.

It would be outrageous to me if this man,

and I apologize for the expression, get away with it.

JANUARY 30, 2025

It's the day after the trial.

I've been thinking about what Ashley said at trial

and about how angry she seemed to be.

I really think she believes that I wasn't raped.

I suffered for years because of this.

I suffered for 11 years because of what happened.

And someone can walk into a room and say:

"Well, she was interested."

AND?

AND?

The concept of consent

It's very clear.

I stayed…

…incoherent.

I couldn't hold myself upright.

And I was attacked.

Where is the consent?

After the testimony,

I contacted her, wrote to her.

I told him what the trial had been like. and told him what I thought.

We just had to wait for the decision.

I was confident that he would be condemned.

And I also told him that,

If Manuel Blanco were acquitted,

unless she didn't want to, My position would be to appeal.

I don't want to appeal.

Whatever happens,

I can't go on.

I can do it. I could do it.

I'm capable of this, but I don't want to continue.

I know it will be her who will put him in prison.

He will regret ever meeting her, to have seen her name.

I'm sure you already regret it.

And then I think,

If it doesn't turn out the way we want,

there will be many girls who are going to see the series we are filming

and this will expose you.

There will be victims we don't know about.

I'm sure some of them will be willing to submit it to the process.

I want him arrested.

I want him off the streets and stop being a threat.

But I also want Let this be done for her.

She doesn't...

I like her a lot.

She doesn't deserve to relive this over and over again.

She deserves to be freed from this

and she will only be released after this trial.

He affected her ability,

our ability to live and our mental health.

I just hope there is justice in this aspect.

What…

… he is recognized as a rapist and as a predator.

For us to have an outcome.

I'm very cynical

in relation to women see justice is served in these types of crimes.

I hope it gets somewhere.

I think he will be convicted.

He should pass the rest of his life in prison.

I think many women know

that it is very difficult to obtain convictions.

I hope that at least this case brings more public notoriety regarding him.

He deserves it. He's a horrible person.

I'm not afraid to tell the truth.

He's the one who should be scared. And I think he has.

There are people like him out there.

And it's very difficult to accept that.

Because if we knew How many monsters are there out there...

My God! We wouldn't leave the house.

The idea that this only happens to others has to be reconsidered,

because it happens more of what we want to recognize.

I have to believe that he will be held responsible,

because I think men continue doing this because they think they won't be.

Something has to change.

We are here because we are not afraid of him.

You were nothing special.

You just chose your victims because we were vulnerable

and you thought we weren't going to say anything.

And you were wrong.

I think he knows that this is the end of the story for him.

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

TWO WEEKS AFTER THE TRIAL

VIDEO CALL WITH GABRIELLE VEGA

JOURNALIST

Hello.

Hello. Good morning, Gabrielle.

I have a feeling.

Do you have a feeling? Then?

Is it a verdict?

- Yes. - Okay.

He is guilty.

MANUEL BLANCO WAS CONDEMNED BY THE COURT TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON

FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF GABRIELLE VEGA.

I'll call my dad.

THE ADDED COURT TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO SENTENCE

FOR ATTACKING CARLY AND HAYLEY.

We already know!

As?

Ana called us.

When you called...

Gabby! It's fantastic! You did it!

My God!

Do you believe?

No.

MANUEL BLANCO REFUSED TO SPEAK FOR THIS DOCUMENTARY.

It's fantastic.

I know.

I know.

I don't believe.

I'm in shock. I wanted to believe it, but I'm in shock.

Me too.

DOZENS OF WOMEN SHARED

WHO WERE ALSO VICTIMS BY MANUEL BLANCO

THANKS TO

Ready.

I…

… I have no idea how to start.

Until now,

today, February 12, 2025,

It's the best day of my life, and I will never forget it.

I'm moving to the country.

I'm going to buy a mule and I'll call her Gabby.

And whenever you see that mule,

I will remember something who is stubborn, loving,

full of perseverance

and that we are capable of anything in life,

as long as we are honest.

And we can send the bad guys to prison.

It's the best feeling in the world, in my opinion.

MANUEL BLANCO VELA APPEALED TO THE SPANISH COURT.

THE SENTENCE IS NOT FINAL.

Subtitles: Rubens Oliveira

www.tvsubtitles.net