The real crime and what remains to be discovered in “The Asunta Case”, a Netflix miniseries

The most famous streaming in the world launched another production of true crime, which, like “Dahmer” and “Narcos”, was among the most watched in Brazil. “The Asunta Case”, from Netflix, entered the catalog on April 26th, remaining among the 10 most watched content in the country. Portraying one of the best-known crimes in Spain, and also widely reproduced around the world, the story raises questions about what the real crime was like and also about the open questions behind the work of dramaturgy.

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With six episodes, the miniseries reconstructs the murder of Asunta Basterra, a 12-year-old Chinese girl, reported missing and later found dead, in September 2013. Adoptive parents Alfonso Basterra Camporro and Rosario Porto Ortega were convicted as perpetrators of the crime. Both were well known and influential in Spain, which was one of the factors in the case gaining wide media coverage. However, although the perpetrators of the crime are already known, questions about the motivation and subsequent death of the adoptive mother continue to be asked.

What was the real crime in “The Asunta Case” like?

Alfonso and Rosaria had been married since 1996 and decided to adopt the child in 2000, as Rosario suffered from lupus erythematosus, a condition that makes pregnancy difficult and can lead to the death of the mother during pregnancy or childbirth. Born in China, the child previously called Fang Yong, was adopted by the Spanish couple when he was just nine months old. After being adopted and moving to Santiago de Compostela, it was there that the child gained a new name and began to be called Asunta.

Alfonso was a well-known economics journalist in the country and Rosario was a successful lawyer, and at the time of the crime, she worked at the French consulate in Spain. The couple, who appeared to have a “perfect” life, divorced in February 2013, the year in which the child was murdered. The motivation was the discovery of an extramarital affair by Rosario, in January of the same year. The month between the discovery and the divorce was one of constant fights between them, but the separation was signed after an agreement between them.

The adoptive father would be responsible for the child and the mother, who already suffered from lupus and also had bouts of depression, would provide financial support. Both lived in nearby apartments, separated by just a few blocks, with the aim of making it easier for Asunta to live with both of them. Thus, the girl was divided between the two houses, which she could move around by walking just a few meters. This close distance between them was crucial in identifying inconsistencies about the child’s journey on the day she was murdered.

Asunta’s death occurred on September 21, 2013, after the child’s disappearance was reported by her parents during the night of that day. Early the next day, in the morning, a couple found her body in an area close to her adoptive parents’ country house. However, none of them, at that time, demonstrated that they were involved in the crime. Asunta was killed by asphyxiation, found tied to orange ropes, after being drugged with a high dose of lorazepam, a tranquilizer used to treat anxiety.

Why were Asunta’s adoptive parents accused?

The main reasons for the parents’ accusation were inconsistencies between testimonies. The investigations also showed that Alfonso bought the medicine used to poison the child. The first inconsistency was detected in the testimony of the mother, Rosario, who said she left the child at home to visit the family’s country house, in a town called Teo. Security images show mother and daughter together at a gas station, contradicting the version that the girl stayed at home.

Another action that was crucial for the prosecution was Rosario’s behavior after discovering the death. The adoptive mother asked to use the bathroom in the country house after the police reported the crime. An officer followed the woman and discovered she was in the bedroom, trying to retrieve what was in a trash can in the bedroom. The contents were a piece of the same type of orange string that Asunta’s limbs were tied with when her body was found.

The adoptive father, although he did not asphyxiate the child or participate in the murder itself, was named as the perpetrator for having collaborated in planning the crime. This is because, according to investigation records, Alfonso was the one who purchased the lorazepam tablets that were being given to the girl three months ago. Complaints about the child’s drowsiness and mental confusion had already been made by teachers at the music school she attended. Asunta’s blood had the equivalent of around 27 pills of the medicine in her system.

The father said that the pills were for Rosario and that, sometimes, they were given to the child because of an episode of invasion in the family’s apartment. In July of that same year, a man allegedly invaded Asunta’s room and tried to strangle her. Rosario reportedly heard noises, went to the child’s room, and found the attacker. The man allegedly fled after his mother entered the room, but the incident was never reported to the police. At the trial, the family’s neighbor even stated that it would be unlikely, as the dogs that are close to the wall of the residence would not have barked.

All the inconsistencies in the crime led the police to arrest Rosario on September 24, just two days after the child was killed. Alfonso was arrested on the 25th of the same month. Both awaited trial in prison, until they received a guilty verdict in March 2016, when 18 years in prison were stipulated as a sentence. Rosario’s suicide occurred in 202, after several attempts by the lawyer.

What are the open questions in the Asunta Case?

The first question that still remains in the case is about the motivation for the crime. Asunta was killed days before turning 13 years old, in addition to being murdered after constant poisoning by her parents. However, to this day, the adoptive father maintains that he did not participate in the crime and is innocent. In interviews after the conviction, Alfonso also insinuated that he wanted to “disappear” after serving his sentence and join his daughter, in a possible suggestion of suicide.

Discovering the motivation becomes even more difficult since the adoptive mother, identified as the main organizer of the death, died after committing suicide in the prison where she was serving her murder sentence. And the doubts about the circumstances of her death, according to press reports and the series, are also questions that remain open.

Some theories argue that she was killed so that the true motivation for the crime would not be discovered. Other aspects confirm the suicide and relate the fact to the psychological problems and depression that Rosario faced. The fact is that, even more than a decade after the murder, it is not known what motivated the crime or the subsequent suicide of Asunta’s adoptive mother.

Cast of Netflix’s “The Asunta Case”

The Asunta Case (The Asunta case) is a Spanish miniseries created by Ramón Campos, Gema Neira, Jon de la Cuesta and David Orea Arribas, based on the murder of Asunta Basterra. Filming locations included Santiago de Compostela and Vigo and actress Candela Peña worked with two coaches to perfect her Galician accent, the region’s dialect. Check out the full cast of the miniseries below:

• Candela Peña as Rosario Porto
• Tristán Ulloa as Alfonso Basterra
• Iris Whu as Asunta
• Javier Gutiérrez as Judge Malvar
• Carlos Blanco as Agent Ríos
• María León as Cristina Cruces

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