The Files of the Mari Luz Case

The Mari Luz Case refers to the social, political, and judicial events related to the murder of Mari Luz Cortés, a five-year-old girl from Huelva, Spain, which occurred on January 13, 2008. Mari Luz went out to buy sweets at a nearby kiosk but never returned. The search for the little girl mobilized neighbors, friends, and family, received extensive media coverage, and lasted 54 days until her body was found floating in the Huelva estuary with a head injury. The case involved a chain of judicial errors, and the perpetrator, Santiago del Valle García, had been evading prison since 2002 due to a conviction for child sexual abuse. The tragedy deeply affected the country and led to significant media attention.