Spanish Couple Convicted of Murdering Adopted Chinese Daughter

In a tragic case, release, news that shocked Spain, a wealthy couple from Santiago de Compostela was found guilty in 2015 of murdering their 12-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Asunta Fong Yang. Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra had adopted Asunta as a baby in 2001, but in September 2013, the girl's body was discovered on the side of a road in Teo, Spain. She had been asphyxiated and given a lethal dose of lorazepam, a drug her mother used for anxiety.

Why this matters: This case highlights the darker side of international adoption and the need for stricter regulations and oversight to protect vulnerable children. It also raises questions about the psychological and emotional toll of adoption on both the adoptive parents and the child, and the potential consequences of untreated mental health issues.

Theinvestigationinto Asunta's death quickly focused on her parents due to inconsistencies in their statements and evidence that the girl had been drugged in the past. Porto and Basterra, who had divorced earlier in 2013 but continued living together, were arrested within days of their daughter's body being found. The case, which became known as "El Caso Asunta," sparked a media frenzy in Spain as people struggled to comprehend how Asunta's seemingly devoted parents could have committed such a heinous crime.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Porto and Basterra had carefully planned their daughter's murder, possibly due to Porto's worsening mental health issues. Key evidence included an alleged eyewitness who claimed to have seen Asunta with her father the day she disappeared, though this testimony was later disputed. The jury also considered the fact that Asunta was adopted, with some speculating it was easier for them to accept her parents could harm a non-biological child.

Ultimately, both Porto and Basterra were convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison each. The judges determined that the couple had drugged Asunta with lorazepam for several months before asphyxiating her in a planned murder. No definitive motive was ever established. In 2020, Porto took her own life in prison, while Basterra remains incarcerated and maintains his innocence.

The heartbreaking case, release, news of Asunta Fong Yang, a talented and promising girl whose life was cut short by the very people meant to protect her, sent shockwaves through Spanish society. Her story has now been dramatized in the Netflix true crime series "The Asunta Case," ensuring that her tragic fate will not be forgotten. The series delves into the twisting investigation that unfolded after Asunta's body was discovered and seeks to shed light on the deeply disturbing actions of Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra.

Key Takeaways

• Wealthy Spanish couple Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra murdered their 12-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Asunta Fong Yang, in 2013.
• Asunta was asphyxiated and given a lethal dose of lorazepam, a drug her mother used for anxiety.
• Porto and Basterra were convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison each.
• In 2020, Porto took her own life in prison, while Basterra remains incarcerated and maintains his innocence.
• The case has been dramatized in the Netflix true crime series "The Asunta Case."