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The Asunta Netflix Case: ending explained
The miniseries “The Asunta Case”, available on Netflix since April 26, 2024, with six episodes, is a Spanish true crime drama that follows the investigation into the murder of Asunta Basterra, an adopted 12-year-old girl, in Galicia in 2013 .
Characters:
Asunta Basterra: The murdered 12-year-old girl, adopted by Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra.
Rosario Porto: Asunta’s adoptive mother, with a troubled past and history of depression.
Alfonso Basterra: Asunta’s adoptive father, described as manipulative and obsessed with control.
Moncho: Rosario’s childhood friend, who becomes a key player in the investigation.
Instructors: Police team in charge of the case, led by experienced Inspector Noemi Ferreiro.
Miniseries Summary:
Episode 1: The plot begins with the disappearance of Asunta, leading to a frantic police investigation. The problematic relationship between Asunta and her adoptive parents soon raises suspicions.
Episodes 2-3: The investigation delves into Rosario and Alfonso’s past, revealing dark secrets and questionable motivations. The forensic and testimonial clues build a complex and intriguing case.
Episodes 4-5: The pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, and the detectives get closer to the devastating truth. The suspense builds as the characters’ darkest secrets are revealed.
Episode 6: The climax of the story culminates in a tense and revealing trial, exposing the truth behind the crime and the consequences for those involved.
The Asunta Case, final comment:
Warning, spoilers!
Poisoning: Alfonso, Asunta’s adoptive father, gives her an excessive dose of anxiolytics, a medication that induces sedation. This scene is shown in a subtle way, but it makes Alfonso’s role in the crime clear.
Asphyxiation: While Asunta is sedated and unconscious, Rosario, the adoptive mother, asphyxiates her with plastic. The scene is full of tension and emotion, showing the coldness and cruelty of the act.
Who killed Asunta in the series?
The series points to Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra, Asunta’s adoptive parents, as those responsible for the crime. The police investigation, throughout the episodes, reveals the couple’s motivations.
Greed: Alfonso and Rosario would have married out of financial interest and saw Asunta as an obstacle to their plans.
Resentment: Rosario harbored resentment towards Asunta for reasons not fully explained in the series, which would have led her to act cruelly.
The Real Case:
The murder of Asunta Yong Fang Besterra Porto shocked Spain in 2013. The girl was found dead in a forest, wrapped in a blanket, after being reported missing by her adoptive parents.
The police investigation revealed a cruel and premeditated crime. Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra were sentenced to 18 years in prison for poisoning and asphyxiating Asunta, motivated by greed and resentment.
Murder victim. Asunta Yong Fang Basterra Porto, born Fang Yong, was a Spanish girl born in China whose body was found in Teo, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, on 22 September 2013, shortly before her 13th birthday.
The coroner determined that she died of asphyxiation and had received at least 27 Lorazepam pills on the day of her death, more than nine times the high dosage for an adult. The investigation into her death became known as the Asunta Basterra case.
Asunta’s adoptive parents, Alfonso Basterra and Rosario Porto, were found guilty of her murder on October 30, 2015. According to court documents, the couple periodically drugged their daughter with Lorazepam for three months and finally asphyxiated her before get rid of the body.
The parents, who maintained their innocence, were sentenced to 18 years in prison. 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.
Real photo: Asunta’s father and mother took photos of the child’s coffin. In the reflection you can see the coffin of the murdered girl surrounded by wreaths. With a body in the middle, the figure of Asunta’s mother, like her father, is reflected, creating a scene of horror.
Alfonso Basterra appears alongside his ex-wife. He is captured on his cell phone camera, probably because it was at the same time that he also took the photographs of the coffin.
Differences between Miniseries and Reality:
The miniseries condenses events and characters for narrative purposes, while reality presents more details and people involved. Rosario Porto committed suicide in Ávila prison on November 18, 2020.
The series explores the characters’ motivations in a more fictionalized way, while the real motives in the real case still raise doubts. The miniseries has a definitive ending, while the real case still leaves gaps and questions.
