Art. 22.1 CP
Treachery (alevosía)
Means securing execution without risk to the perpetrator.
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Theory of crime · Article 22 CP · Throughout Spain
Criminal aggravating circumstances
Treachery, discriminatory motive or recidivism: what raises the sentence can also be challenged.
Article 22 of the Spanish Criminal Code lists the aggravating circumstances: treachery (alevosía), price or reward, discriminatory motive, cruelty, abuse of trust, abuse of public office and recidivism. Their concurrence pushes the sentence into its upper half — but each can be contested.
In brief. the aggravating circumstances of Article 22 raise the sentence: treachery (22.1), disguise or abuse of superiority (22.2), price or reward (22.3), discriminatory motive (22.4), cruelty (22.5), abuse of trust (22.6), abuse of public office (22.7) and recidivism (22.8). They impose the upper half of the sentence; their strict interpretation is a field of defence.
Repères
22
Article of the Criminal Code listing the aggravating circumstances.
22.8
Recidivism: a frequent aggravating factor subject to precise conditions.
24h
English-speaking lawyer, challenging aggravating factors throughout Spain.
What raises the sentence
Aggravating factors must be strictly interpreted. They are not presumed and require precise conditions. Treachery demands means securing execution without risk; recidivism, prior convictions of the same nature not spent.
Their effect is governed by Article 66. One aggravating factor imposes the upper half of the sentence; several may lead to the higher degree. Challenging their concurrence therefore has a direct impact on the sentence.
The defence disputes each element. A fortuitous disguise, an unsought superiority or recidivism based on spent convictions are all angles to rule out the aggravation.
What we contest
The aggravating circumstances
Art. 22.2 CP
Disguise, abuse of superiority
Disguise, abuse of superiority or exploiting circumstances of place and time.
Art. 22.3 CP
Price or reward
Committing the offence for price, reward or promise.
Art. 22.4 CP
Discriminatory motive
Racist, anti-Semitic or discriminatory motives tied to protected traits.
Art. 22.5 CP
Cruelty (ensañamiento)
Deliberately and inhumanly increasing the victim’s suffering.
Art. 22.6 CP
Abuse of trust
Exploiting a relationship of trust to facilitate the offence.
Art. 22.7 CP
Abuse of public office
Taking advantage of public-official status to commit the act.
Art. 22.8 CP
Recidivism
Prior conviction for an offence of the same nature, not spent.
Art. 66 CP
Effect on the sentence
One factor imposes the upper half; several, the higher degree possible.
Effects
Overview of the aggravating factors
| Circumstance | Article | Effect on sentence | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treachery | 22.1 | Upper half | Execution without risk |
| Abuse of superiority / disguise | 22.2 | Upper half | Deliberately sought |
| Price or reward | 22.3 | Upper half | Profit motive |
| Discriminatory motive | 22.4 | Upper half | Protected trait |
| Cruelty | 22.5 | Upper half | Needless suffering |
| Abuse of trust | 22.6 | Upper half | Trust relationship |
| Public office | 22.7 | Upper half | Official status |
| Recidivism | 22.8 | Upper half | Unspent prior conviction |
Indicative elements based on the Spanish Criminal Code. The effect depends on the concurrence of mitigating factors and the number of aggravating ones. This overview does not replace a lawyer’s analysis.
Our difference
A wrongly applied aggravating factor costs years
The qualification of aggravating factors turns on details. Treachery, cruelty or recidivism require precise factual and legal elements, often overstated in the indictment.
We contest each aggravating factor. Ruling out a single aggravating factor can move the sentence from its upper half to its lower half — in practice, several years less.
01
Strict challenge of every aggravating circumstance
02
Checking the conditions of recidivism and prior convictions
03
Distinguishing treachery, cruelty and inherent violence
04
Rebalancing through mitigating circumstances
How we act
A structured defence at every stage
Phase 01
Analysis of the facts and the aggravating factors invoked
Phase 02
Investigation and challenge of the elements
Phase 03
Plea on the non-concurrence of the factors
Phase 04
Individualisation of the sentence at judgment
Who we represent
Very different situations
D
People under investigation
Accused persons whose sentence is raised by one or more aggravating factors.
R
People with a record
Defendants facing an allegation of recidivism to be contested.
E
Public officials
Officials facing the abuse-of-public-office aggravating factor.
F
Families
Relatives concerned to understand the impact of aggravating factors.
Related
Related pages
FAQ
What you should know
How does an aggravating factor affect the sentence?
Under Article 66, one aggravating factor imposes the upper half of the sentence; the concurrence of several may lead to the higher degree.
What is treachery (alevosía)?
The use of means securing execution without risk of defence for the perpetrator (Art. 22.1). It differs from the violence inherent in the act.
When is there recidivism?
When there is a prior conviction for an offence of the same nature, not spent or capable of being spent (Art. 22.8). A spent conviction cannot ground it.
Is a discriminatory motive an aggravating factor?
Yes. Article 22.4 aggravates acts committed for racist, anti-Semitic or discriminatory motives tied to protected traits.
Can an aggravating factor be ruled out?
Yes. Their interpretation is strict; contesting an ill-founded factor can significantly reduce the sentence.
Do mitigating factors offset them?
They are weighed against aggravating factors during individualisation of the sentence. The firm assists 24/7 in Spain.
Speak to a criminal lawyer
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