ETA suspects face 1,180 years for Santa Pola blast

THE trial against two ETA terrorists who detonated a car bomb in Santa Pola began this week in the Madrid.

The 2002 explosion detonated outside the Guardia Civil barracks killed Silvia Martinez, aged 6, and a Cecilio Gallego, a 57-year-old resident of Torrevieja, as well as injuring 55 people.

In court on Tuesday, her mother, Antonia Santiago, looked the terrorists in the face and called them “murderers, cowards and sons of b**ches”.

The public prosecution is asking for 1,180 years in prison for suspected terrorists Andoni Otegi and Oscar Zelarain.

The head of the Guardia Civil in Santa Pola who investigated the attack said in court on Monday that the time and date chosen by ETA, August 4 at 8.15pm, were proof of their intent to cause “devastating effects” not only to the Guardia Civil station but the bus stop opposite and any passers-by in the busy coastal area on a summer evening.

Given the above, the extent of the tragedy was not as bad as it could have been, he also said. Before committing the attack, the alleged terrorists stayed at a local campsite, just 400 metres from the target location and hired a moped to get around the town.

The explosion of the Ford Escort loaded with 100 kilos of explosive caused a four metre wide crater and damaged 20 homes inside the worst affected building.

Silvia Martinez was inside one of them as she was the daughter of a Guardia Civil officer.

When they were arrested in France in September 2002, the terrorists were found with a video with images of the attacked barracks, as well as photos and forged documents which they had used.

Both of them refused to testify in court.

By Jennifer Leighfield