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Martiño Ramos Soto, a professor and former Spanish political leader sentenced to 13 years in prison for "sadistically" and repeatedly violating a minor just 12 years old, is now believed to be living in Havana, where he goes by the name "Martín Soto."
The news was exclusively revealed this Sunday by EL ESPAÑOL, which detailed that Ramos Soto, who is a former leader of the Galician political party "En Marea," has reportedly been residing in Havana since at least July of this year.
Ramos Soto, 45 years old and known for his political activism in the Galician province of Ourense, has been in hiding since his final sentence was enforced.
According to the information released by the mentioned outlet, in Cuba, Martiño Ramos Soto would be working as a "documentary photographer."
The information details that the convicted individual moves discreetly, participates in small photography workshops, appears in group exhibitions, and often visits cafes in the El Vedado neighborhood.
His appearance is different: he wears loose clothing, has a shaved face, and looks very different from the professor who spoke about feminism at public events in Orense.
Nobody in his Cuban surroundings seems to know his true and dark history, nor that he has a firm conviction for having assaulted a minor student on at least ten occasions.
"He says he is a documentary photographer. That he came looking for tranquility," explained a person who met Ramos Soto at several workshops to EL ESPAÑOL.
"Here, he lives like anyone else. He doesn't talk about Spain.", the source would have added.
The Provincial Court of Ourense issued a search and capture warrant along with an arrest order when it was confirmed that Ramos Soto had fled.
Until mid-September, the professor was on provisional release, as, although he had been convicted, neither the prosecution nor the private accuser requested his preventive detention, a situation that the convicted individual took advantage of to escape.
The background of the case: Violence and breach of trust
The discovery of Ramos Soto once again brings into focus the seriousness of the offenses for which he was convicted.
The music teacher abused the minor for years, from the time she was 12 until she was 16.
The ruling described the abuses as "sadistic" and repeated.
According to information previously published by EL ESPAÑOL, Ramos Soto initially contacted the victim when she was under twelve years old, using a fake profile on Instagram to hide his true identity and appearance.
He presented himself as an "emotional support" for the minor, taking advantage of her "emotional fragility" to later ask her for sexually explicit material.
The extent of the damage caused was reflected in the judicial context, where the seriousness of the manipulation, the physical abuse, and the mistreatment suffered by the minor on a continuous basis was emphasized.
The girl, who had to be admitted to a hospital due to psychiatric issues and suffered lasting effects, was initially discredited.
At school, the guidance counselor and several teachers told him that "it was just his imagination" and that they "fully trusted him," according to reports from Spanish media.
The ruling of the Superior Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG), which dismissed the defense's appeal, underscored the "solid and categorical persistence in the incrimination" of the victim, supported by testimonies from other students, messages, and forensic reports.
The TSXG also stated that the accused "was fully aware of the victim's emotional fragility," and took advantage of the circumstances to present himself as a "figure of reference and support."
Martiño Ramos Soto's escape revealed the double life that the convict was leading, as he managed to carve out a significant "social recognition" in Ourense.
A member of leftist formations such as Izquierda Unida and the electoral committee of En Marea (a coalition of Podemos, Esquerda Unida, and other forces), Ramos Soto participated in debates and events, "pretending to be committed to the struggle of women at feminist events," while committing abuses.
As of the writing of this note, no Cuban state media have echoed the complaint made by the Spanish outlet
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