Murder of Asunta Basterra

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Basterra and the second or maternal family name is Porto.
Asunta Basterra
永芳
Born
Fang Yong

(2000-09-30)30 September 2000
Yongzhou, Hunan, China
Died21 September 2013(2013-09-21) (aged 12)
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Parent(s)Alfonso Basterra Camporro (father)
Rosario Porto Ortega (mother)

Asunta Yong Fang Basterra Porto (born Fang Yong; 30 September 2000 – 21 September 2013)[1] was a Chinese-born Spanish girl whose body was found in Teo, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, on 22 September 2013, shortly before her thirteenth birthday. The coroner determined that she had died by asphyxiation and had been given at least twenty-seven lorazepam pills on the day of her death, more than nine times a high dosage amount for an adult.[2] The investigation into the death became known as the Asunta Basterra case (Spanish: Caso Asunta Basterra).[3][4][5]

Asunta's adoptive parents, Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra, were found guilty of her murder on 30 October 2015. According to court documents, the couple had periodically drugged their daughter with lorazepam for three months and finally asphyxiated her before disposing of her body.[2][6] The parents, who maintained their innocence, were sentenced to eighteen years in prison.[2] Porto died by suicide in prison in November 2020.

The case attracted widespread media interest in Spain and around the world, as well as a "statement of concern" from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The death of Asunta Basterra inspired numerous documentaries[6] and a drama series, The Asunta Case, which premiered on Netflix in April 2024.[7]

  1. ^ Mahía, Alberto (7 June 2017). "Caso Asunta: Los padres la asesinaron; pero ¿por qué lo hicieron?" [Asunta Case: Her parents murdered her; but why did they do it?]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Tremlett, Giles (2 February 2016). "Why did two parents murder their adopted child?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Adopted child's death grips Spain". IOL News. AFP. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  4. ^ 为夺遗产？西班牙夫妇疑杀害中国养女 [Spanish Couple suspected of killing Chinese adopted]. Sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 28 September 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  5. ^ de Pedro Amatria, Gonzalo (24 May 2017). "Elías León Siminiani, director de 'El caso Asunta': "Rosario habla de su hija con un nivel de dolor y amor que estremece"" [Elías León Siminiani, director of 'The Asunta Case': "Rosario speaks about her daughter with a level of pain and love that shocks"]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Spanish woman tells court she did not kill adopted Chinese girl". The Straits Times. AFP. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  7. ^ "'The Asunta Case' true story: The real events behind Netflix's true crime show". TODAY.com. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.