Chapter 19 - The First Day of Trial
The oral trial commenced in the Criminal Chamber of the Provincial Court of Madrid in mid-November.
The media presence outside the courthouse was massive. Television cameras from every national network covered the parties' arrival.
Trevor arrived in handcuffs from the preventive prison where he had been remanded two weeks prior, after an unauthorized attempt to access the newborns' medical records through a private investigator hired by his law firm was detected.
He wore a dark suit that was too big for him. His physical appearance had deteriorated noticeably; his skin was pale, with dark circles under his eyes.
Beside him, sitting in the defendant's box, was his father, Malcolm Harlan, assisted by his own trial lawyer. Malcolm kept his eyes straight ahead, wearing a grim, contemptuous expression, refusing to look at anyone in the room.
Rebecca entered through the door reserved for the prosecution, wearing a navy blue tailored suit, accompanied by Maya Chen and protected by victim advocacy services.
The tribunal, composed of three magistrates—two women and one man—began the session with preliminary motions.
Trevor's defense attempted one final procedural maneuver, requesting the nullification of the recordings found in the white noise machine, citing a violation of the investigated party's right to privacy.
The presiding magistrate dismissed the motion resoundingly:
"This Chamber considers that recordings made in the family home by the defendant himself, using a device installed by him, do not enjoy an expectation of privacy against the victim of the acts committed on said premises, especially when there is rational evidence of the commission of a crime of domestic violence and a breach of the duties to protect the minor present."
After resolving the preliminary motions, the judge ordered the witness testimony to begin.
Rebecca was the first to testify.
She walked up to the central stand and sat in front of the microphone. To her left, less than twelve feet away, Trevor stared at her.
The prosecutor began the questioning:
"Mrs. Vale, please tell the Court what happened in the marital home on the day of the incident."
Rebecca took a breath. She looked at the bench, deliberately ignoring the presence of Trevor and Malcolm.
"That day, Emma wanted a cookie before dinner. I told her no. My daughter started crying. Trevor stormed out of his office furious, saying the baby's crying was humiliating him in front of a client on the phone..."
For over an hour, Rebecca detailed precisely, methodically, and without dramatics, the physical assault, the breaking of her front tooth, her father's arrival, the manipulation of the bank accounts, and the pattern of psychological coercion exerted over her during their years living together.
When it was Trevor's defense attorney's turn, she tried to discredit her testimony:
"Mrs. Vale, do you admit to sending affectionate messages to my client two days after having heated arguments?"
"Yes," Rebecca answered coldly. "I sent them because I was afraid of his reaction if I didn't apologize immediately. I learned that taking the blame was the only way to keep the peace in the house."
"Isn't it true that your father filed this complaint to ruin Mr. Harlan's professional career?"
"My father didn't file the complaint. The call to the police was made by me when I opened the door of my house, bleeding, holding my daughter."
Rebecca's steadiness left the defense's cross-examination with no room to maneuver.
At the end of her appearance, the presiding judge gave her permission to leave the room or sit in the gallery.
May you like
Rebecca chose to stay. She sat in the front row of the gallery, right behind her lawyers, to witness the rest of the trial.
The next witness called to testify was Marianne Harlan.
