Van der Dussen ‘to sue Spain for €6m’ over unjust rape conviction
A Dutchman who spent 12 years in jail in Spain after being wrongly convicted of rape is suing the Spanish government for €6 million.
Romano van der Dussen was jailed in 2003 for allegedly attacking three women in the holiday resort of Fuengirola. Last year a court quashed the conviction after DNA evidence identified a British man then living in the area, Mark Dixie, as the real culprit. Dixie is serving a life sentence in the UK for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Sally Anne Bowman in 2005.
Van der Dussen told Spanish media he was seeking compensation for ‘damage caused by my being wrongly deprived me of my freedom.’
He has always maintained his innocence and is continuing to contest the two lesser of robbery and sexual assault which were not overturned by the appeal court.
An autobiography of Van der Dussen titled ‘My Spanish Nightmare’ is expected to be published shortly.
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