The prosecution and the private accusation are seeking up to seven and a half years in prison for the councillor of Independents per Valldemossa, accused of taking advantage of his father's cognitive decline to seize his properties and savings.
The Councillor for Culture, Education and Historical-Artistic Heritage of the Valldemossa Town Hall, Francesc Marín Marbán, faces a prosecution request of six years in prison for a continued crime of fraud. The private accusation, brought by his two brothers, raises the penalty to seven and a half years by adding a crime of document forgery and the aggravating factor of the victim's vulnerability. The trial will be held at the Provincial Court following the opening order issued by the judge in Inca.
A fraud that began in 2018
According to the prosecution's indictment, the events date back to September 2018, when the councillor's father, already showing symptoms of cognitive decline — later confirmed by forensic reports — made a transfer of €36,000 in favour of his son. Between 2019 and 2021, as the elderly man's condition worsened, Marín allegedly managed to have him rent out several properties and kept the income received between August 2022 and October 2023, totalling €76,150. He also appropriated €4,800 for the cancellation of an unexecuted work.
The accusation details that, in April 2021, when the father's cognitive ability was already severely diminished, the councillor convinced him to grant a power of attorney in his favour. That document allowed him to empty his father's bank accounts: over €126,000 which constituted all his savings. Furthermore, he placed the elderly man in a care home in August 2022 without consulting the rest of the family, according to the accused's brothers.
The defence denies the charges
Francesc Marín's lawyer has submitted a defence statement in which he denies all the allegations. As a preliminary matter, he argues that the two brothers of the accused are not legitimised to bring the private accusation, requesting their expulsion from the process. He also claims that, in any case, the excuse of kinship would apply, and requests the full acquittal of his client.
The investigating judge has set a bail of €270,000 for Marín to cover potential civil liability. The case will be tried by the Provincial Court of Palma, where the trial will take place on dates yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the councillor remains in office, although the judicial process could affect his work in the Valldemossa council.
A case that shocks the municipality
The news has caused great impact in Valldemossa, a small village in the Serra de Tramuntana where local politics is usually characterised by the closeness between neighbours. Francesc Marín, a member of the Independents per Valldemossa party, had been an active councillor in the areas of culture and education. Now, residents watch in surprise as a case of alleged family fraud affects the local government. The trial, expected to be high-profile, will be closely followed by the community.
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