The series called The Asunta case has become the most watched production in Netflix upon its recent release, exploring the tragic murder of Asunta Basterraa 12-year-old girl, by her adoptive parents in Santiago de Compostela in 2013. This event shocked the entire Spainand the series tries to understand the reasons behind this horrendous act.
“On September 21, 2013, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra reported the disappearance of their daughter Asunta. After a few hours, her body appeared on a road on the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela. The police investigation soon finds evidence that points to Rosario and Alfonso as the possible perpetrators of the crime. The news shakes the city and all of Spain. What can lead parents to end their daughter’s life? What is hidden behind that image of a perfect family?”, presents the synopsis of this fiction that is part of the top positions on the platform in Latin America. The production features an expert cast that includes Candela Pena and Tristan Ulloalike Asunta’s parents and they also stand out Javier Gutiérrez, María León, and Raúl Arevalo, who have contributed to the success and impact of this audiovisual story.
According to the plot presented in the six-episode miniseries, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterrathe parents of Assuntareported his disappearance on September 21, 2013. However, the case took a turn when police investigations pointed to them as the main suspects in the murder of their daughter, whose body was found a day later on a forest trail near her home. After a judicial process, both were sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The decline of Porto in prison, where he attempted to take his own life on several occasions, culminating in his suicide in November 2020 in the prison of Brieva. Rosario was in three prisons where he was serving his sentence: the first was in To Lama (Pontevedra), then in Teixeiro (A Coruña) and finally in Brieva (Ávila). In each of them she tried to end her life herself. An example of this took place in 2018 when she wrapped a rope around her neck while she was showering but they were able to save her and activated the anti-suicide protocol. But it was all in vain because in November 2020, she hanged herself in Brieva prison using a cloth belt tied to the window frame.
Basterrafor his part, continues serving his sentence in the prison of Teixeiro, Á Coruña, where he adopts an introverted posture and without signs of regret. Most of the time she is in the prison library reading. His attitude has led to isolation when he became involved in smuggling with other inmates. He still has 8 years left on his sentence.
The controversy and morbidity surrounding the crime of Asunta Basterra have not diminished public interest, and the adaptation of Netflixproduced by Ramon Campos and Bamboo Productions (hit makers like Velvet or Cable Girls to mention just a few of them), has managed to capture the attention of viewers, quickly positioning itself as the most watched Spanish miniseries on the platform. The series not only narrates the events that led to the fatal outcome of Asunta but also delves into the psychological and social complexities involved in the crime, including the impact it had on the community and the country.
