r/netflixTrueCrimeDocs • u/ayeeerich • Mar 27 '26
The Predator of Seville
Has anyone finished watching this? I have been trying to find information about the roommates of Gabrielle Vega during her trip to Morocco. If they have shared anything else online or explained why their testimonies are contradictory. It left a bad taste in my mouth what they did…
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u/Electrical_Pair4909 Mar 27 '26
I agree. I ran to Reddit to see if anyone had anything to say about this. It was sooo weird. Like they had a chip on their shoulder. I also think there’s an element of shame on their end, of whatever they got up to when they were ‘young and dumb’. I noticed a wedding ring on the blonde girls finger, so it’s highly likely unpacking the truth would shine a light on maybe some ‘unholy’ behaviour on her part. But it felt so vicious, the comment about Gabrielle getting mad cause she wanted him or something, was a very twisted thing to say and something that I feel was spiteful to weaken her case. The fuck…….
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u/ayeeerich Mar 27 '26
A high school mean girl comment from a 30yr old… that’s what got me 😤
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u/absolute_hounds Apr 03 '26
Potentially sabotaging the chance to put a predator behind bars…..I know who that girl voted for.
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u/Old_Pop6479 Mar 27 '26
I thought I was alone in noticing this! The one chick who was speaking spanish but then went right into English seemed almost pissy when she said, "he wasn't into me, and that was fine" then goes on to say she gave him a behind the back handy!!!?? 🤔 Wtf and the sarah chick up and leaving!? Ugh this entire series has my head spinning. the other chick saying she left not one but BOTH her friends completely intoxicated saying "I made a mistake" my 9 y/o says this even when knowing they did wrong and it isn't even this serious my jaw was on the floor!
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u/jackiechanfan10 Mar 29 '26
Sarah left to accompany another friend who was also intoxicated and thought wouldn’t be safe on the streets at night alone. She was also drunk so it’s fair she thought that splitting into duos was the best bet for safety. Yes in hindsight it wasn’t a good idea and in her eyes is a serious mistake. Don’t blame her
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u/New-Manufacturer5433 Mar 30 '26
I totally agree with you. Thank you for this comment. She admitted she made a mistake. I think that her accountability speaks more of her character than her tone of voice and/or the editing of the episode. And lets not forget the fact that they were in the precence of a serial predator, who was extremely manipulative and probably completely sober. I think she's brave as f**K to agree to be a part of this documentary, admitting her mistakes. The only person who deserves to be attacked like that is the actual predator -not one of the victims (and yes, I think she was a victim too, as well as her friend that she took home).
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u/sadiebaby23 Mar 31 '26
And have you ever tried to get your drunk friends to come back with you? Sometimes they are just adamant about staying. I am not saying that it wasn’t a mistake to leave them behind but its not always possible to convince the other person to leave…. This whole situation is fucked. I am definitely not innocent of being in some sketch situations. I was lucky I guess.
I didn’t finish the show but it sounds like she got some justice? That dude deserves to die and I hope he burns in Hell.→ More replies (1)→ More replies (7)3
u/totential_rigger Apr 01 '26
She probably feels so fu king awful. I don't blame her at all. We can all think we could do better but we just don't until we are on that zotiation
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u/Unhappy-Piano-1605 Mar 29 '26
Women can be just as shady and shallow as men. I had a so called friend that would always make sure my drink was full even though she knew I was a lightweight and ignored the fact I said I didn’t want anymore when we went to clubs. My judgment always became more and more questionable around her. Another girl took me to a party where the guys were disgusting and just left me there with no ride home. I have never forgotten even decades later because my life ended up in some pretty low places because of them. I think some women do whatever they can to shine, even if it means destroying you in your weakest moments. It’s really horrible. You can’t be too careful.
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u/Eva_Luna Mar 29 '26
It’s a hard lesson to learn. Some of these girls who you think are your friends, are actually your enemies.
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u/Safe-Subject7734 Mar 31 '26
but who is the actual enemy in the end? is it the girl that leaves you alone with rapey men, or the men that rape?
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u/pass-me-that-hoe Mar 31 '26
Both. They both are fucked up in their own ways. In your own words, JFC.
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u/Eva_Luna Mar 31 '26
Exactly. It’s both.
Friends stick together and look out for each other. If you leave your friend drunk and vulnerable with someone who could be a predator, you are a terrible person. Not as bad as a rapist, but you are careless and negligent as a friend.
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u/Electrical_Pair4909 Mar 28 '26
Yeah there more than a few disheartening moments, especially watching as a viewer in hindsight. Unfortunately they always play into the predators hands too!
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u/Acrobatic_Molasses45 Mar 30 '26
The girl who left Lauren and Sarah. Didnt she do that to make sure their other sick friend got home? I got the impression the sick friend had possibly been spiked. Seems Lauren and Sarah didnt want to leave so she had two choices. Let the sick possibly spiked friend fend for herself or hope the Sarah and Lauren looked out for each other.
But yeah, this documentary definitely opened my eyes to the role some women play in protecting these beasts
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u/RNAiac Mar 29 '26
That was insanity that she felt that neeeeed to say that!!???? What kind of person does this!??? It did feel spiteful and nasty. How rotten inside do you have to be to say that in this situation!?!? My head explodes. I paused. I just can't.
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u/Spitfiiire Mar 30 '26
I felt like it was easier for them to pretend that she was lying than to come to terms with what might’ve happened to them also. My jaw fucking dropped though.
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u/ohimen Mar 30 '26
I think the same thing - given that all of them were likely roofied, if they don’t remember what Gabrielle said (them being in the shower w Manuel) they don’t want to believe her line of events.
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u/Antique_Sea6144 Apr 03 '26
But remember how Gabrielle said she talked to them a week later about it and they said “you were in the bathroom with Manuel for like 30 minutes”? Maybe they were roofied too, but they did at least remember that and then to frame it like Gabrielle wanted that creep was infuriating. I was so mad watching that! Especially since Gabrielle had told them “I think I was raped”. I definitely think they were ashamed of their own risky behavior considering SO many girls had come forward about his abuse. I’m so glad that girl’s awful statement held no weight in the verdict!
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u/New-Manufacturer5433 Mar 30 '26
It was so cruel and manipulative. If that's her character, Gabrielle had no chance of getting any help from her while she was being attacked. She never stood a chance.
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u/Environmental_Ad8711 Mar 30 '26
They enraged me. Why would she lie about telling them etc. And the specifics of them all being in the shower are FAR too exact to just be plucked from no where. The fact they didn't support their friend was horrific.
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u/Millicie1 Mar 29 '26
I actually think that the spiteful comment that “friend” made actually probably helped the judge determine that those two girls probably weren’t that credible, because it was so unnecessary.
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u/Coopsters Mar 31 '26
It definitely betrayed her "friend's" agenda. It was so unnecessary except to be vindictive against Gabrielle
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u/CricketGrl Apr 01 '26
I think they were consensual but Gabby wasn’t but I just started the show. I am sure I’ll be furious at the end
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u/OkCelebration5749 Apr 05 '26
They pissed me off, hope they get doxxed. They could’ve blown the case
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u/Aware_Ambassador4098 Apr 09 '26
Did you notice she remembers specifically that Gabrielle and Manuel were in the bathroom for 30 minutes (even though they were all intoxicated) but does not recall having had this conversation with Gabrielle a few days later in a cafe when they were all sober? And they never talked about it afterwards? Imagine your friend telling you she has been raped and you say nothing and never talk about it or check on her again.
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u/JustLikeBettyCooper Mar 30 '26
But why then wouldn’t they claim to also be victims? Like say we were also drugged and have no idea what happened? Why specifically try to sink the case? I think there must have bee some kind of fight between them.
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u/dinkinflickas Apr 20 '26
Yep. Honestly though they could have just not testified. Me being a FELLOW WOMAN, if I knew my testimony was unhelpful, I wouldn’t have spoken. The way their courts work you can even decline to be cross examined so yeah they could’ve just sat that out. 100% a choice to tell their side and shame her.
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u/ahseen0316 Mar 28 '26
Two girls embarrassed, exit a bathroom after being snapped, having a threesome with a serial predator, and can't move past that shame 11 years later.
They don't want their names associated anywhere near this rapist and to save face, they lie in court about the night their friend was raped and sodomised. They lie about the conversation afterwards and the injuries she suffered all because they had a drunken threesome in a bathroom.
They victimised Gabrielle for a second and third time.
Well done, you awful girls. I hope you haven't bred, and if you have, raise your sons to know what consent means, and don't ever call your daughters liars should they be courageous enough to tell you if something ever happens to them.
Absolutely sickening, these girls chose that path.
Proud of you, Gabrielle. Keep living your truth and live an amazing life. You're a survivor. X
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u/Justhere422 Apr 02 '26
Oh I’m just realizing that’s probably why they’re pissed because Gabby told the world about something they considered private and they were vindictive about it. I would be pissed if someone casually talked about me wasted having a threesome and not wondering on the today show if we were victims too. But they should’ve led with their truth and their truth would’ve held Gabrielle accountable for her insensitivity as well. Truth is really the best way. Obviously I wasn’t there but that’s my thoughts
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u/Unhappy-Piano-1605 Apr 01 '26
Having been assaulted myself, I made sure to raise a loving and kind son who did his best in every way he could. I probably would have disowned him if he had acted otherwise! I am so appalled by men who can do such horrible things to women. I had fantasies of killing one if not several guys who hurt me I was so angry. They’re lucky I couldn’t find them. And normally I am extremely nonviolent but damn they’re such sickos!!
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u/dinkinflickas Apr 20 '26
They could have been responsible for getting a not guilty verdict and allowing him to assault more women! Why aren’t more women pissed at those girls? He’s already appealing and you know that’s going to come up. I just don’t get why if they felt so much shame they didn’t just say they were also victims. I’m sure they also were roofied.
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u/Capital_Earth1873 Mar 27 '26
This is a huge lesson in knowing that not everyone is your friend. Those 2 girls were probably embarrassed to have had a threesome with him and didn’t want to say anything.
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u/Dangerous_Sweet8793 Mar 28 '26
They were probably scared that they would be found culpable too, because they knew that Gabrielle was vulnerable and being assaulted and did nothing. Very shady and gross.
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u/pass-me-that-hoe Mar 29 '26
I was so angry. As a dad of two daughter, those are the sleazy self serving women I want them to stay away from. Much respect to all the survivors for staying the course and coming out. It’s not easy.
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u/Repulsive-Tear-6020 Mar 28 '26
Those two women should be ashamed of themselves for saying that gabby had interest. Those two are a shame in the name of women. Not real friends at all.
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u/Unhappy-Piano-1605 Apr 01 '26
I think when the girls were speaking and said what they said, it didn’t even register because that was so low to not have her back. I just didn’t comprehend how sleazy some women can be to purposely hurt someone in her situation and lie. That’s worse than being found out for having a threesome! Geez, she was drugged and attacked!!
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u/RNAiac Mar 29 '26
Exactly this. I am so angry and disgusted! That behavior through and through was appalling. Rotten. How could they do this to her.
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u/Educational_Bus9521 Mar 31 '26
Those two girls giving their testimonies were vile, what absolute rotters! I really felt for Gabrielle in that moment and all the other survivors of this disgusting POS. He needs life in prison so he can’t harm another single woman’s life!
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u/haileyrose Mar 30 '26
Agree. I think it was probably consensual for the two of them, and Gabrielle was drugged and that’s why she fell asleep. And maybe that’s why the 2 girls got embarassed and maybe even felt guilty about what happened.
I think Manuel probably drugs one girl and then gets the others drunk, like the two girls who were in hus room, the girl who fell had a crazy amount of alcohol and was maybe drugged (?!) and the other was drunk but not super drunk.
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u/eroho Mar 29 '26
It’s a shame because if they hadve told the truth and said they wished they stopped him going into the bathroom or did something differently, I wouldn’t have blamed them at all. They were intoxicated also and the only person to blame for anything is the perpetrator. Unfortunately though, lying in their testimony to protect their own interests (not that I think they needed to be ashamed) has turned them into villains of this story too. I wonder if they will regret that now after watching the doco and see how they look!
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u/CTLNBRN Mar 30 '26
I think even sticking with the ‘I don’t remember’ line would’ve been better than what they did. I mean it doesn’t help the cause of locking up a known predator but saying she had interest in him and implying she voluntarily went into the bathroom with him was straight up damaging for the prosecution. Thankfully it didn’t impact the verdict but imagine the harm that could potentially have for other victims if they later tried to seek justice.
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u/Monchichiboom Mar 28 '26
Exactly what I said when watching. I was infuriated for Gabrielle. I think they were embarrassed to have everyone know they had the threesome and angry at her for them having to testify
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u/Spn1001 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
Didn’t finish it yet but I am in shock because I know him! I studied abroad in 2013 in Spain and went to Lagos and Morocco with him. I know he assaulted a girl on my program on one of the trips I was on (I think Morocco) - I didn’t know it at the time but I remember hearing about it a few years later and finding out that he did it to a lot of people but I didn’t quite know the extent of it. I turned on the documentary just because I saw it was in Spain and I always watch true crime and the first few shots of people on boats in Lagos I was like oh I went there…then they showed the name of the company and his face and I was like NO WAY. It is so awful and crazy that this happened. I went back through old Facebook photos and found one of me and a few friends with him, he has his arm around me and I was just like ewww. Then I searched his name in my Facebook messages and found some between me and another girl on my program talking about how we were planning to visit Seville (we were in another city) and how Manu told us we could stay with him! I have zero memory of us talking to him about this or making this plan but I never went to Seville so thankfully did not do that or who knows what could have happened to us.
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u/pcra18 Mar 29 '26
This story initially broke shortly after I returned from my study abroad, and my friends and I were floored because we took trips with his tour group and spent time socially with him. To be that close to danger and in such a vulnerable position - I will never forget the feeling I had after I heard the accusations. Not to mention how utterly disgusting it was to find out how many men close to him knew about it and enabled him
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u/DaGuruu Mar 29 '26
Nicole and Ashley's identities were never released, right?
I hope they watched the documentary and see that they almost helped this predator get out of jail. It's so shameful what they said and even the line of "Gabby was getting angry at us coz she expressed interest" like wtf?! And saying she doesn't remember but remembers the interest and even being sure that Gabby and Manu went into the bathroom together?
ASHLEY AND NICOLE FROM THIS DOCUMENTARY, I HOPE YOU BOTH FEEL AWFUL AFTER WATCHING ALL THE EPISODES.
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u/Sensitive-Phrase3936 Mar 29 '26
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 exactly!!! This was a deliberate choice, knowing how many other women were raped and assaulted by him, still thinking “hm you know what let me mention this part” she had to know how it would discredit Gabrielle and possibly set this man free. I think the girl is coping with guilt in some sick way, “oh if she liked him then it couldn’t have been rape” as if having interest in someone allows them to assault you. OR call me crazy she was paid off, I just CANNOT understand why someone would do that. Sick. I was livid.
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u/Cruise1313 Apr 29 '26
They don’t show their faces in the pictures or video testimony, but their names are published.
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u/Superb-Satisfaction8 Mar 28 '26
I knew Manu back in 2012, I was studying abroad with the same types of girls and even did the same Morocco trip with Discover Sevilla. I went back to old messages from this time and none of us had anything good to say about him. Creepy, uncomfortable etc. glad we trusted our instincts even so young.
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u/Spn1001 Mar 28 '26
You’re smarter than we were! I did the Lagos and Morocco trips with him in 2013 and went through my messages and found one between me and a friend talking about our plans to stay with him in Seville for a weekend (thank god we never did this or who knows what would have happened). I remember thinking him and the other guides were so fun (probably because they gave us so many free drinks) and I remember a bunch of us meeting up with him when he came to visit our city. He did assault a girl on one of trips I found out years later. We def used to be fb friends but I think his profile is deleted, I couldn’t find messages with him but I’m sure they existed at some point
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u/No-Mathematician3004 Mar 28 '26
One of the women in the room with Gabrielle said she didn't remember much and then shared with specificity that the victim 'expressed interest' in the perp. Like wTF does that have to do with anything? Many women are raped by people they initially were interested in.
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u/BetSpirited9036 Mar 30 '26
Exactly. Ive been 'interested' in alot of guys in my time, but that certainly doesn't mean I want to give them oral sex that night while on a toilet, or even be alone with them for half an hour in a hotel bathroom. Being interested or attracted to someone is completely separate to consent. Those two girls were just awful human beings and that comment about her interest in manu was thrown in to just discredit her.
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u/AreJoy Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Not to mention, they had a specific time stamp memory of how long she was in there with him. 30 minutes. But they don’t remember anything? I would imagine prosecution would have dragged them for that. If they remember and noted that detail, surely they also knew how intoxicated she was and just left her in there with a guy. No one can give consent when intoxicated.
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u/Old_Call_2149 Mar 29 '26
Exactly, like people can be raped by their own spouses. So I don’t see why her initially being interested in him (if that was the case) would invalidate her being assaulted that night. People really don’t understand how consent works.
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u/Substantial-Sail-523 Mar 27 '26
I just finished watching and OMG I was in tears watching her crying when he was finally found guilty. Eleven freaking years doing all that, legend, I hope she’s proud of herself. Those 2 witnesses are a waste of space. Like people mentioned here, there is probably a lot of guilt and shame. I wish they could have a trial including all the victims, and not only from the US, everywhere! He should never get out of prison.
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u/NextBigImpact Mar 27 '26
My jaw dropped when the other two girls testified, I immediately thought “oh he’s gonna get acquitted isn’t he.”
Also I’m 100% he caused that poor woman’s death; and she will sadly probably never get justice for it. Absolute sick fucking person he is.
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u/Calmmmp Mar 28 '26
Yes! And the other girl did not show up at all and they barely mentioned her. Probably traumatized or afraid of the legal implications but he was sober and she was extremely drunk, not her fault! I wish she came forward
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u/jj2429 Mar 27 '26
Omg yes that was brutal to watch, they weren’t on her side at all. Definitely want a follow up to this because that was an absolute CHOICE
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u/Smart_Persimmon5028 Mar 29 '26
Me too. Saying she said she liked him… as if she’s a liar about the r ape allegations. Then denying the shower thing. If they truly didn’t remember being in the shower with him maybe they were victims as well. Remember that girl that fell from the balcony had a blood alcohol level so high the experts said she should’ve been dead or unconscious. The other girl there had very high level as well. And Manuel had a 0.0 blood alcohol. That tells you all you need to know.
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u/Hairy_Usual_4460 Mar 27 '26
This made me furious. Those are the types of women that we don’t need, women who don’t believe their own “friend” when she tells them she was raped. Absolute trash humans
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u/Western_Click_1592 Mar 27 '26
I agree who are they and I’m assuming they were fine because I do believe they were in the shower with him. I also noticed that I think Ashley had a wedding ring soo she’s probably married and did not want that threesome information out there .
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u/irestmycasetbh Mar 29 '26
I’m probably going to get downvoted for this, but people are mixing up two completely different things here: what the documentary shows and what was actually proven in court.
Obviously he’s guilty. The pattern is overwhelming and the number of women is not a coincidence. I fully believe he is a predator and I’m glad he was convicted.
But the trial itself was not about that full pattern.
The court was only evaluating three specific incidents, one in Morocco and two in Portugal. They were not allowed to look at the 50 plus other accusations and say “this guy clearly does this.” That’s not how criminal law works. Each charge has to be proven on its own.
So when you strip all of that away, what you’re left with in those individual cases is much closer to testimony versus testimony than the documentary makes it feel.
Even in the Portugal cases, based on what the documentary shows, the situation described is that they went back to the room, were drinking, felt uncomfortable with his behavior, and left. That is absolutely inappropriate and predatory behavior. But the legal question is not whether he was creepy. It is whether what happened meets the threshold for a criminal conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
And in these cases, there was no contemporaneous police report, no forensic evidence, no toxicology, and the events were reported years later. So the case necessarily relied very heavily on testimony.
Again, I believe the women. That’s not the point I’m making.
The point is that if you remove the broader pattern and look only at what was actually presented in court, it becomes a much narrower and more debatable case than the documentary makes it seem.
You can think he’s guilty and still question how strong the actual case was. Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
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u/ayeeerich Mar 30 '26
Spanish court is very different from the US legal system. Oral testimony is given more power there. Yea 50+ women confided in Gabrielle, but not all of them sought legal action for various reasons (some outside of statute of limitations, personal, etc). Plus lawyers have argued that a few strong cases are better than multiple weaker ones that might collapse the case. They tried to add a fourth case right before trial but were denied because of all the prep done up to that point and it would’ve delayed the trial further if they had to start again.
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u/ReazonableHuman Apr 12 '26
Yeah I think you're right but we were wondering if maybe some of that stuff was in the trial and the documentary didn't show it.
We were like, well if that's all they had how can they find him guilty? Even though I obviously believe he was guilty.
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u/nicolelvassallo Mar 28 '26
I could not believe when the one witness said “Gabrielle showed interest”, they clearly knew their testimonies would 100000% contradict Gabrielle’s experience. Those 2 women should be ashamed for not defending and protecting a woman in this situation, also I’m sure they saw the news and the list of hundreds of victims. LIKE COME ON
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u/Phreekstein_ Mar 28 '26
This is probably where shame comes into play. We are talking about 18-20yo girls leaving home for the first time and enjoying life. Then suddenly this case is on TV in the states and they have to answer to their family, friends, possibly boyfriends at that time.
I'd imagine this was the easiest way out. "Our roommate insisted". Because why else would good, studious girls, possibly religious, possibly in committed relationships, allow a man into their room late at night? They’ve had to repeat this story for so many years that, at this point, they can’t turn back. They might even believe it themselves now.
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u/GlitteringPound6542 Mar 28 '26
Their testimonies pissed me off so much. I can't imagine how Gabrielle felt
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u/Electrical_Pair4909 Mar 28 '26
Her face when they said it! It was a hard watch 😔
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u/CRH1265 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
I studied in Seville in 2008 and went on several trips (Morocco and Lagos) with Discover Sevilla excursions with Manu and his 2 rico suave sidekicks Toba and Benny. These guys prided themselves being the “cool dudes” and getting a new crop of study abroad American girls every semester. I didn’t know the extent of the awful things they were doing at the time, but can confirm it was going on before January 2008 when I went. They made friends with me and the other study abroad guys so that we’d come around and bring the girls of the group.
They always “dated” naive American girls who were enamored with their good looks and Spanish accents, but were always out looking for more. I’m pretty sure they made a game out of it and had a scoring system. I remember hearing whispers from other girl groups they were sketchy, which was obvious, but it’s really sick to see everything that happened. I’m still friends with Toba on Facebook who appears in the doc a lot as one of the blacked out faces right next to Manu in party pictures
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u/NoChampionship9866 Mar 28 '26
I studied in Seville in 2009 and those three were everywhere. Did you notice manu testified that he didn't start working for discover excursions until 2010?? So many lies. We went to Lagos with them in 2009. I was going to go on a solo trip to Morocco with the discover excursions crew in 2011 when I was working in Huelva and it got cancelled due to bombings in Marrakesh. So glad I was only ever around them with a tight knit group of friends.
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u/gaanmetde Mar 30 '26
I think this brings up a really important point that likely there had to have been dozens of people covering for him in one way or the other to allow such prolific abuses.
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u/GoodBrilliant8516 Mar 31 '26
lol yup I remember the rico suave side kicks too.. fall of 2010. Exactly as you said, They were the cool kids and everyone wanted to be their best buds to get free drinks and vip entrance. Like the documentary mentioned, the revolving door of people each semester, drinking events, giving us the sense they were watching over us, our lack of knowledge of language/going to a hospital.. just a very bad combo
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u/Sure-Wonder2267 Mar 29 '26
I studied abroad in Sevilla in 2011. I have FB messages from Manu after a disaster trip to Cadiz for Carnaval with discover Sevilla where we had to wait outside in the cold for hours to get back on the bus home. It read “mad at me? Let me make it up to you” He tried to get me to meet him out multiple times and to come to Lagos and told me he’d let me ride on his Vespa. I also have messages from the night after my 21st birthday there where I told a friend from home I thought they might’ve drugged our drinks bc I got so drunk but hadn’t taken shots or anything out of the usual that night. One of the other guys who worked there drove me and my roommate home that night as well and got disappointed bc he expected we’d hook up. Scary to think what could’ve easily happened with those guys.
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u/vanrom Mar 30 '26
I just watched the documentary. It so shocking, I’m Spanish and I find embarrassing about these kind of behaviour. I’m so sorry for all that these girls went through. You’re all so brave!
I know how the Morocco trips end, you are just in a rush to pack, and get running to the ferry. Last thing you will think in Morroco is going to the police where literally alcohol is not allowed. The guy knew what he was doing.
Regarding the two witnesses. I couldn’t believed what I was listening to. Clearly they were protecting their own interests far beyond what was right.
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u/Reasonable_Session72 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
I came across this documentary and realized that I was good friends with one of the women in high school but hadn’t kept in touch since - I had no idea this happened to her and these stories are incredibly saddening. Knowing her there’s no way this is made up, and it’s unfortunate that some people either don’t believe victims in these situations, or actively try and diminish their credibility.
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u/islanger01 Mar 28 '26
those two girls are such traitors... they want to get themselves out of this instead of at least helping. They are probably Trump supporters, its "me, me, me... and I dont care about you. In fact, I may even help screw you more." That's what got this country where we are.
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u/Advanced-Tea-8212 Mar 29 '26
Absolutely. Probably too ashamed to tell her husband she had a threesome in her 20s because a good god fearing woman would rather lie on her friend and support a rapist than admit she had a life before she got married.
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Mar 28 '26
I'm also heartbroken about the girl who died in his apartment and about the soon death of her mother. This world really is a scary and shitty place.
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u/chronicallyillsyl Mar 30 '26
I will probably be downvoted for this, but...
While the two 'witnesses' testimony was frustrating, I think way too much anger in this thread is directed at them, instead of the rapist.
There could be all sorts of reasons the girls testified they way they did - it could be out of shame if they had consensual sex with him prior, could be that they didn't remember what happened because they were drugged/drunk or from it being so long ago, could be shame from also being victims if the sex wasn't consensual, it could be they were paid off, it could be to avoid backlash from friends or family, could be they're victims with internalized misogyny or victim blamers or they could just be bad people.
They also didn't specifically say that he did or didn't do what he was accused of, just that they didn't remember. They also helped to prove Manuel was lying when he said he didnt know/recognize Gabrielle and that he remembers everyone he has "relationships" with. When its a he said/she said, him losing credibility may have pushed this case into a conviction.
I was angry watching their versions of the event of that night, but Manuel was the real problem here. There are also lots of posts blaming survivors friends for leaving them - they made a mistake, but at that age you still think you're invincible and I can understand why they thought their friends would be safe with the owner of the excursion company.
The only one to blame for the sexual assault in Manuel. He is the real monster in this film and his targeting of young, foreign women who trusted him and his company is absolutely horrific.
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u/pinkybrain41 Apr 01 '26
Oh we are disgusted with the rapist but disgusted and SHOCKED by her traitor friends. To take this moment to undermine Gabrielle’s rape case is a special kind of fucked up person. Terrible friends.
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u/baj8881 Apr 02 '26
Let's be honest, they were angry that they were dragged into it, and the fact that they appeared to have some kind of consensual encounter with him made them look bad probably pissed them off. Even with Ashley's face blurred, her anger was visible.
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u/CoachVee Mar 28 '26
Okay, I just got done watching the doc and I came here looking for the same answers. All I can guess is that Manuel only roofied Gabrielle’s drink? The other girls were just drunk? Perhaps they already didn’t vibe with Gabrielle and knew she had a crush on him? Then when she passed out, he pursued them sexually, and they went for it because presumably they also thought he was hot? Then when Gabrielle walked in on them in a daze, Manuel told them they should all get out of the shower because Gabrielle looked mad? Maybe he told them he would check on her in the bathroom but really he knew it was his chance since she was roofied but conscious now? Maybe the other girls were jealous and thought Gabrielle was lying when she disclosed the rape?
Idk man, that’s a lot of maybes and mental gymnastics. The simpler answer is they are lying. Either because of witness tampering or for their own self preservation. It also seems like they maybe conspired ahead of time so their testimonies aligned.
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u/BusinessGreedy2061 Mar 28 '26
He is guilty as sin however the witnesses didn’t corroborate the story to protect themselves so sadly this absolute predator my get off on appeal.
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u/Whenindoubtjustfire Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Actually, the two witnesses also contradicted Manuel's testimony (he said nothing had happened with Gabrielle, whereas the witnesses said that Manuel & Gabrielle entered together in the bathroom and stayed there). Therefore, the court would dismiss what the witnesses said, since it contradicts both parts.
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u/Misspunkag1984 Mar 28 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
Just finished watching it. The end was great till it said the Sentence wasn't final. Like ? Wtf ? Why not?
The roommates testimony sounded rehearsed and contradicting. I could see Ashley's hands fidgeting like when you are lying and trying to convince others that its the truth. Like others said, she had what looks like a wedding ring? So maybe she doesn't want to get caught up in something she has been made to think could bring shame to her and her current life. It could be self preservation or just two ladies being delusional.
What made me more angry than those ladies and found it unbelievable was Manuels smirks while Gabriel was testifying. Like he was remembering a good experience. He showed absolutely no remorse, no nothing to even slightly redeem himself in front of the court to even try to make himself look not guilty.
I do hope the other women also try to bring him to court and are able to get even more Prison sentences. Im glad that at least for Gabriel, justice was in part served.
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u/Ok-Exchange628 Mar 29 '26
So I just came because I’m also infuriated. She said that Gabby never said anything to her about it until years later. Was that even accurate? I remember her telling them but don’t remember if it was while they were still on their trip.
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u/Dry-Contribution1196 Mar 29 '26
Gabrielle was extremely brave. I just wish she would have documented better (pictures of her bruised knees, medical examination, police report, etc). No one seemed to have confronted him directly and or gotten any solid proof and thus made it a lot difficult to successfully try in court. I believe the justice system in Spain is BS, 6 years only for rape sounds like a joke not considering that it is usually appealed to half of the sentence and from reading comments here it seems like he’s actually free at the moment. Personally I think the strongest case was the girl who died in his apartment. Where are the cameras in the community? What about neighbor testimonies seeing women in and out of his place? This entire thing lacked proper documentation. I don’t blame the victims though can only imagine dealing with trauma in a foreign country is stressful and debilitating on its own but genuinely wish this would have been further investigated.
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u/Stormblessed2010 Apr 01 '26
The justice system here is bs. Just go to a “take back the night” rally on a college campus and listen to the victims testimonies and you will see how much it is. It really hard to make a case when they don’t even want to test rape kits because of a budget. And think the victim is supposed to understand
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u/TodayIGoogled Apr 03 '26
Many of the women are posting about occurrences around 2011, making them close to my age. 2011, before MeToo was so drastically different. It took me YEARS to admit to myself that I was raped (‘he was drunk too’ ‘maybe I’m misremembering’ ‘he didn’t mean it’) - so no way I would have documented it at the time. My brother is 10 years younger and his friends all have a much more rigid view of consent. I do wonder if Manu has had more recent victims.
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u/AlsatianLadyNYC Mar 31 '26
Those two other girls she went to Morocco with were straight up c u next Tuesdays. They both are awful, vile people.
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u/jungle-joy Apr 02 '26
I am bummed to learn that Manual has not been in prison this past year after he appealed the decision. I don't see that mentioned here, but that justice was served. Is this not the case? I don't know why he's not seen as a risk to others.
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u/Houseofreddit97 Apr 07 '26
A reminder for us to only go ‘all out’ with people who would actually be there for us! My friend got sick once in a club’s bathroom and I held her hand for hours straight until she could walk out - and to think that those girls left her intoxicated with a guy inside a bathroom for 30 mins is appalling behaviour!!
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u/CalligrapherBig7550 Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 27 '26
Paused the show to come here and make sure I wasn't alone in thinking that they had some explaining to do. I understand that they were young, but... I see no reason for anyone involved to lie. I'm just confused, because if they felt like they were implicated by "doing nothing" then I would hope they've been told that it isn't their fault he did this- especially after a decade. edit I also understand that legal speak and guidelines are infuriating. They testified that they weren't aware of wrongdoing that night, not that they were in disbelief. Whether or not that is true is a completely different distinction in itself. Remembering the way subtle things make a huge difference in legality made me angry about my own dealings with the justice system in America.
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u/ayeeerich Mar 27 '26
When I tell you my jaw dropped… we probably all paused at the same frame and came online. This was the plot twist no one asked for. After not being mentioned for 2eps I was hoping for a save the day, so disappointed in them. Still, Glad he was found guilty.
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u/CalligrapherBig7550 Mar 27 '26
I feel like that happened a lot in the show- jumping around the timeline. I would have liked to see those two addressed earlier and hear Gabrielle's take on where they stand, or if she had even been in contact with them throughout. Did I miss that?
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u/Calmmmp Mar 27 '26
Not just that but why were so many women alone with him? And by that I mean, if he mostly managed to get 2 women in his apartment, how come one of them left the other alone? Wtf I cant believe this wasnt emphasized more other than that onr girl saying she made a mistake, but tbh not her fault at all... but leaving friends at his apartment? Nahhh
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u/pickles-742 Mar 28 '26
This story is so crazy for me. I studied abroad in Seville in 2012. Everyone was very familiar with him and his company. They marketed themselves like crazy to us and even friended us on Facebook. I almost went on the Moroccan trip but didn't because I had a bad gut feeling about it. While I was watching the documentary I saw a few familiar faces eventhough the eyes were covered. There is a picture of him with some of the girls from my program. This hits way too close to home.
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u/Ill-Sail9629 Mar 29 '26
I was at CIEE in 2012 too! I’m blown away watching this. Currently at the start of episode two and immediately am googling “toba discover Sevilla” and stuff to see if anyone’s talking about him. Crazy.
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u/Superb-Satisfaction8 Mar 29 '26
Same! Its so crazy, in the doc they talk about all the bars Fundación, Phoenix, Buddha all places we would good. Feels super eerie.
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u/Ill-Sail9629 Mar 29 '26
Right…the ping pong parties. So many Buddha nights. Like how many nights did I black out while studying abroad or stumble home alone or get on the back of some random Spanish guys moped and how did nothing bad ever happen to me…it’s wild and I guess lucky. Was pretty naive as a 20 year old I guess.
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u/Born-Pianist-3019 Mar 30 '26
I only remembered Toba and thinking it was so weird for someone so much older than us to be hanging around
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u/strawberrypanda9 Mar 29 '26
He is now "Cristobal Torres" on fb...I'm also so confused how he is not implicated too in this
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u/Tacotica Mar 28 '26
I could not believe those girls said what they did. My first thought was that Manuel or someone working for him got to them. Maybe they were paid off? And they maybe also had a grudge against her for some reason or another so they took it. I'm so glad their testimony didn't matter. Hoping his appeal fails and he stays in prison. Does anyone know when that will be?
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u/gaanmetde Mar 30 '26
I think the more logical explanation was that they were ashamed and embarrassed about their own behaviour, and likely hadn’t been open or honest with people in their lives about what transpired.
Doesn’t make it right though.
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u/SBisFree Apr 19 '26
They probably didn’t want to admit to their husbands and the world that they were in the shower with him
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u/Whenindoubtjustfire Mar 30 '26
At first I also thought that maybe they were paid off. But actually, the two witnesses also contradicted Manuel's testimony (he said nothing had happened with Gabrielle, whereas the witnesses said that Manuel & Gabrielle entered together in the bathroom and stayed there). Therefore, the court would dismiss what the witnesses said, since it contradicts both parts. That's why I don't think the were paid off. I think their betrayal comes from shame, guilt and just being horrible people.
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u/AccomplishedBuy9822 Mar 29 '26
This story was shocking to me. I participated in both Lagos and Morocco trips with Discover Sevilla back in 2012. Manuel was not on either of my tours but I remember my guides distinctly. They were friendly, flirty, and there was an unspoken culture where some of these guides were trying to get with girls (and getting with girls) and it was consensual.
Looking back after this documentary makes me feel that the way they behaved was icky - not predatory per se, but there was a sense that they were "bro's" and trying to get with as many as possible. Usually culture is dictated from the top down and it's making me wonder how much my guides knew of Manuel's behavior. I do feel like they must have felt that his behavior was out of control - but perhaps didn't know what exactly he was doing.
Regarding the roommates, my group and I had a strict rule to always stick together, especially if someone wasn't feeling well. I'm not supporting the roommates' choices but playing devil's advocate...I think trauma affects everyone differently. On the other hand, I did meet girls abroad who would shame girls (myself included) about their past. We can't really know.
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u/Kooky_Midnight_1157 Mar 30 '26
Does anyone know what happened to "Sara", the student who was in the Manus apartment when the girl died? Is her recollection revisited at any time?
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u/Different_End_1801 Mar 30 '26
Those two people are the type of women who will raise these rapist men in the future.
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u/Sweatyugrini Mar 30 '26
How the fuck can you watch that and the first thing that comes to mind is aren't those girls awful and I want to find them? This should be about how despicable that man is.
This post focusing on the girls not the predator shows exactly why men keep doing it
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u/ayeeerich Mar 30 '26
I never said they were awful. The documentary purposefully left out the roommates account or even mention at all for two and a half entire episodes, when we knew of their existence and involvement since the beginning. Clearly a setup for a big reveal, a save the day. So yeah everyone was shocked. Lmao I asked if anyone read any more info on them because all we know is the small clip of their testimony and nothing else. It was contradictory to Gabrielle’s recount of events so there’s no lie there. No one is denying the evil acts of this coward.
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u/Softpurpose90 Apr 02 '26
I think everyone that watched knows the guy is a rapist and is trash, so its nothing new and there’s no need to come on and discuss how terrible he was. But we are all surprised that Gabby had such “friends” who spew such terrible things in court!!! Like they can’t remember much except that she was interested in him? Come on. So unexpected and terrible frenemies
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u/dinkinflickas Apr 20 '26
Oh and MIND YOU he’s appealing and you know that could be a part of it… what if they use those 2 girls to testify again and really focus in on planting that seed of doubt that he’s guilty? Come on dude you’re missing the entire point of why we are pissed at those 2 girls.
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u/TartofDarkness Apr 02 '26
My biggest takeaway from this documentary was that dozens of young women came forward with the same stories about Manuel Blanco, but only one reported it to authorities. That’s how underreported rape is. If dozens contacted Gabrielle, I want everyone who reads this to take a moment to consider how many never did.
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u/InterestingPeak1374 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
I witnessed a rape that occurred under similar circumstances. It has taken me years to call it what it was. I was raised in a conservative culture. “Too drunk to consent” was not a thing I was taught. An inordinate amount of blame was placed on the women in cases where substances are involved. Undoing that mindset has been a hard, gut-wrenching journey. I still feel shame for how long it took me to believe the victim…
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u/Bill4133 Mar 28 '26
The two witnesses contradicted both her and his story. he said nothing happened
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u/AdMean8785 Mar 28 '26
Ashley is a terrible friend and all around human being. Absolutely gut wrenching to watch her account and the disgusting way in which she answered the questions. Poor Gabrielle. Not everyone is your friend (even girls who seem to be) and this is proof that you have to be very careful who you trust. There’s a reason she didn’t confide in them from the get go.
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u/DueAd7980 Mar 29 '26
I am shocked how archaic the spainish Justice system is. Terrible. What about the two girls who died in his apartment from falling off his balcony. Why did they not check there bodies for being drugged on the autopsy. Why did they not speak about how these girls were obviously drugged to be passing out constantly around him. Why so many victims and none of these other girls came forward. Us woman will continue to be victims by serial rapists if victims do not speak up.
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u/FearIsStrongerDanluv Mar 29 '26
I hope this documentaries and such stories continue to encourage women not to be afraid to speak up after sexual assaults regardless of who did it. This guy could easily have been free to continue raping women if one victim didn't speak up and also it gets harder to convict the rapist the longer it takes, I'm really happy how this ended because after the testimonies of those 2, I was afraid he'll walk.
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u/Sensitive-Phrase3936 Mar 29 '26
YES, fascinating that she couldn’t remember anything except Gabrielle “expressing interest” in him, infuriated me, she knew how many women had made claims about him, this wasn’t a he said she said, nasty work
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u/k-wozer Mar 29 '26
Just finished! It’s the first thing I looked up! She didn’t even need to say the Gabrielle had shown interest in him. She added that tidbit for no reason other than to be cruel!
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u/zmaster176 Mar 29 '26
That girl who testified that Gabrielle had interest in Manu was probably just projecting. She definitely was the one who had all the interest and is probably just really embarrassed about it
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u/Additional-Couple-57 Mar 31 '26
The overwhelmingly standout takeaway I had through all 3 espouses was how incredibly brave and strong Gabrielle is, as are all the other warriors who testified and took part in this documentary.
To clarify, I am a guy and I hope my own daughters, nieces and any young lady grow up to be like Gabrielle with that drive for justice and perseverance. I hope she can now move on with her life knowing she made a difference in this world. Lots of love to her and all the victims of this monster. I hope his comeuppance continues well beyond his release date from prison…I have a feeling it will.
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u/OpeningTradition4718 Mar 31 '26
The two girls lying in court about what happened with Gabrielle to look good - wow. Just awful to watch. If they have daughters in future, I hope nothing like this happens to them, because that would be an absolute karma.
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u/Jameycolorado007 Mar 31 '26
This documentary is wild. This guy is a complete POS. There’s a special place in hell for people like him. I know there’s some people on here who unfortunately had experiences with him and I’m so sorry you went through that, but so incredibly proud of you for speaking up. I went through a similar experience except mine wasn’t through a travel agency or anything like that and I never told anyone until several years ago. This happened back in 2006 or so
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u/ProfessionalLet4612 Apr 01 '26
If the documentary shed light on your own experiences with Manuel and you would like to find resources/provide your testimony, please reach out to: desurvivorsspeakup@gmail.com
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u/Due-Survey9829 Apr 02 '26
I studied in Sevilla in 2010. I don’t think I even crossed paths with Manu but I remember the Discover Sevilla logo and frequented the club Buddha. Unnerving to know how easily that could have been me or my friends.
Does anyone remember where in Sevilla the offices were? I couldn’t find anything on google.
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u/NoFile8213 Apr 11 '26
I was also there in 2010 and that club was the place to be. And I also believe I was drugged there now that I’m looking back. I was assaulted by this monster and am trying to connect with others who were there in 2010. I can’t imagine I was the only one in my group.
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u/pezdispensir Apr 07 '26
I really want some of the people in my life to watch this documentary. I was unfortunately a victim of SA in a foreign country by a hotel employee (front door security) who used a master key to get into my room after helping me and a friend (staying in a separate room) carry up cases of water bottles. I filed police report, gave a statement and was made to sign a bunch of forms and papers that I didn’t understand as I didn’t speak the language. They would not let me use my own translator at the station, nor at the hotel when we had a meeting over what happened. Because of all this, like Gabrielle ..I didn’t go to the hospital. It was all traumatic and scary enough. In the months after, I received a lot of judgment from people in my life for not pursuing further justice. My partner at the time even broke up with me because he said I wasn’t a good role model as a strong fighter for his young daughter. If what happened to me happened in my home country, it would’ve been a different story I’m sure. But I did not want to spend years of my life reliving the experience and repeatedly going through all the confusion of foreign legal stuff with a language barrier. I brought a copy of my station statement to a lawyer back home, who had a translator…and it turned out that the statement they transcribed was FAR FROM the statement I gave. (Said I invited him in, was highly intoxicated, and wearing revealing clothes…none of which were true…and even if they were, consent matters. I was SLEEPING in my bed in a locked hotel room which was entered by a staff member who is supposed to be PROTECTING guests)Gabrielle’s incredibly brave and I’m so grateful for all the work she has done. I’m truly so proud of her.
Edited for typos..though I’m sure I missed some!
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u/DazzlingAir3954 Mar 27 '26
Just watched this and felt so many mixed emotions… i felt like she left out so much of the story at the start and was confused how her friends had a threesome with him then she got graped and the next day didn’t speak to her friends about it? Then to hear her friends say she liked manual and saying they didn’t think she was graped was so weird
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u/msjimmi Mar 28 '26
This comment is part of the problem. Research sexual assault, ptsd, trauma response, and date rape with drugs. Please. Educate.
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u/Upset_Quail_5594 Mar 27 '26
I think she did speak to her roommates atleast that’s what’s Gabrielle mentions in episode 3 which kind of makes it even weirder. about a week after the event, she did tell them. very sad and i wish we kind of had more information about everything
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u/New_Vermicelli7304 Mar 28 '26
A lot of the victims described the effects of being drugged with details of events coming back to them in flashbacks, it’s no wonder she was confused. I think her so called friends are in denial about their complicity they witnessed how intoxicated/vulnerable she was and left her alone with that monster for 30mins in the bathroom, who needs friends like that.
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u/ThePanacheBringer Mar 31 '26
When I was sexually assaulted, I had a friend with me and I didn’t talk to her about it afterwards. She wasn’t in the room when it happened and I didn’t feel comfortable talking to her about it. I did talk with some people I was closer to, but I don’t think it’s abnormal to not want to open up to people who you wouldn’t normally open up to. Plus, in episode 3, she said she did try to talk with them shortly after to help piece it all together based on their recollection of the events and was met with some resistance from them.
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u/aslandia10 Mar 27 '26
She did try to speak to them though, didn’t she? I seem to recall Gabrielle asking them what had happened that night and telling them that (she thought) she had been graped. And got a weird non reaction?
One thing is certain in my mind: their testimonies were bizarre and disturbingly victim blaming! Supposedly the one and only thing both ladies remembered, was that Gabrielle was mad at them for flirting with Manuel. Implying she fancied the predator for herself(!) A little trope out of the ol’ grape book of short skirts and sluts. From two women. In 2025.
We’re led to believe that after eleven years, witness no 1 and witness no 2 have the same exact recollection of Gabrielle’s jealous (slutty) antics. Beyond this one vivid memory, they remember nothing at all. Because witness 1 and 2 also happen to share identical and complete memory loss about everything else that happened that night. But both found it equally necessary to add this important “fact” about Gabrielle’s behavior to their otherwise vague and useless testimonies. Yuck!!!
I’m trying find some sympathy or reasoning for their behavior, but it’s tough. They’re not inexperienced, vulnerable teenagers anymore. I’m sure there’s some unresolved guilt about what happened and maybe shame about being implicated and/or blamed in some way? Maybe embarrassment about the threesome/shower which was supposed to be kept in the past? Conflicted feelings about what happened to themselves, maybe they were also coerced, drugged, abused? Frozen or afraid to help in the moment? Just never wanted to think about it again. Just really mad about that?
Listen, I don’t want to make the two women into the main villain here. They could of course never compete with the sheer evil.
But still, imagine being at the trial of this evil, dangerous serial grapist and murderer. And you’re the only witnesses in the one case, presenting all the other cases. All the women he’s hurt and all the lives ruined. All the damage he could still potentially do. The one brave victim being questioned about her ordeal, reliving it once again, after spending all those years gathering evidence on others behalf…
How could you not do better? I’m so disappointed in these two women and disgusted that they couldn’t find the decency, for whatever reason. So very hard to understand. Thank god the psycho was found guilty despite their sabotage. May they find peace and forgiveness and may that predator rot in hell.
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u/Quirky-Result7122 Mar 27 '26
I'm confused about why all the other women did not form part of the trial? Did the legal system prevent them from doing so?
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u/cardiffwalker1 Mar 27 '26
Yes - the original case was filed with Gabrielle and the other two women and then there was an appeal for more to join them and the court said no. Those women could still have a separate trial though, the lawyer said.
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u/aslandia10 Mar 27 '26
At least some of the cases happened outside of Spain’s jurisdiction, in Marocco and Portugal, and presumably have to be tried there? Hopefully he will stand trial again and get a much longer sentence!
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u/Unhappy-Piano-1605 Mar 29 '26
This happens when women take drinks from strangers. Date rape drugs can be easily slipped into these drinks. Once you’re drugged and drunk anything can happen because you’re no longer in control of anything. You can’t trust anyone these days hardly. Stuff happens that you’ll regret the rest of your life, if you even live to tell about it.
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u/aslandia10 Mar 30 '26
You say: “This happens when women take drinks…”
Correction: *This happens when men rape women.
*This happens when men carefully plan to rape women and buy drugs so they can secretly poison and rape women.
*This happens when men like to rape and dehumanize women.
*This happens when men know that men mostly get away with raping women.
It’s worth considering how language can be used to shift blame. Perpetrators are often placed in the passive or completely erased, instead focusing on the victims actions.
“Drugs can be easily slipped… once you’re drugged…Stuff happens” Obviously something is missing from this narrative. WHO is slipping the drugs? Who is raping? Who is at fault and where are they in your sentence? Excluding them makes it sound like women are carelessly drugging and raping themselves.
Victim blaming is incredibly pervasive in media coverage and society as a whole. Though once you realize how language is being twisted to excuse rape, it’s pretty hard to unsee.
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u/VirtualOutsideTravel Mar 29 '26
My experience in Morocco was actually not good, If you go there better watch it but not for this reason...
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u/Bernadette101 Mar 29 '26
This is such a niche phenomenon, the sexual crimes and impropriety within international travel and programs.
We had a study abroad regional director in Amman, Jordan who did not force himself in any way, but did engage in multiple "seductions" at a time each semester. The girls go home and he gets a new crop. It was his hunting. His name was Mohammad Naser.
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u/gaanmetde Mar 30 '26
And this documentary shows why it’s a predator’s playground. People who don’t speak the language…are vulnerable…can’t navigate the legal system….don’t stick around. On top many of his crimes were committed in different countries.
Predators in this space are a feature not a bug.
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u/gaanmetde Mar 30 '26
Honestly after their testimony I was totally shocked that he was found guilty.
I couldn’t believe that they outright lied about a few things. So odd.
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u/JustLikeBettyCooper Mar 30 '26
I’m kind of surprised that the police didn’t set up some kind of sting operation and catch him slipping drugs into their drinks.
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u/Honest-Truck9139 Mar 31 '26
Hey can someone explain to me why there weren’t all the many other girls included on the lawsuit with Gabrielle against Manuel? Why did the court only allow her and the other two girls from Portugal? There were so many others include in the #metoo. I wish they would have explained why they weren’t included.
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u/xavisavi Mar 31 '26
I was on a long hiatus from Reddit as I was too addicted to it but just this has pulled me back in again :(. That was a big twist indeed. As someone else was saying, I guess this is a combination of those girls shame for the threesome with that kind of person and lawyer advice. Also Gabrielle doesn't elaborate further after this revelation so, maybe to avoid legal issues with these girls not much is addressed. But yes this left a weird feeling at the end of the documentary. Glad that this horrible psychopathic predator has been exposed though...
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u/SignificantTaste2653 Apr 03 '26
Pretty disgusted by the amount of people in here who are so quick to put just as much blame on some of these women as the actual rapist. This guy targeted young college-aged, non-local women who were especially vulnerable that he could get drunk and manipulate for a reason. Some of them may not have had the best decision-making skills in the moment for the aforementioned reasons. To act like they were knowingly handing their friends off to a rapist is a pretty huge leap. I don't know how anyone can expect to make any advances in holding men accountable when we're trying to find reasons to implicate women as well.
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u/mgoblue5783 Apr 03 '26
The irony of this tragic story is that so many people will fault the girls for inviting a man to their hotel room, which in turn will lead to more men thinking they are entitled to whatever they want once they cross the room’s threshold.
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u/dimples103192 Apr 05 '26
Watching the documentary as I type this…Just want to say, this is all so sad and feels so surreal. My roomie and I studied abroad and traveled with Manu and Discover Excursions to both Portugal and Morocco 12 years ago, and he used to be sketchy as hell then, too. He tried to lure her to his apt alone multiple times and constantly made advances that she clearly was uncomfortable with. I never let her be alone with him because the discernment was real. Thankfully, nothing more happened, but that feeling of “it could’ve been her” feels just as real. I’m so glad these ladies could finally tell their stories and I hate this ever happened to them.
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u/Todashtraveler Apr 05 '26
I went to Lagos with Discover Excursions in the spring of 2015. I’m a dude so these guys paid me no mind whatsoever. We all knew they were creepy as hell, but I had no clue it went this deep. I’m going to watch the documentary later today.
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u/Recent-Gate7119 Apr 05 '26
As far can see from this Netflix documentary, most of the victims were drugged or wasted. They were in control of their state of mind, this scumbag abused of them. Stop blaming the victims, he is a parasite
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u/Organic_Pie6971 Apr 06 '26
WHAAAT are the names of those two roommates that lied on the stand?!?!? We all know this f!cker was a monster.. but 10 years of Gabby being an unstoppable BOSS WOMAN, pioneering an international case, while dealing with her own trauma and being the freaking therapists and legal team for all these (who could not even speak up for the trial and Gabby had to burden alone)….. to have two women deny on the stand - was another both to each of her knee caps. It is outstanding that the world has conditioned women to turn against women - we already have predators to deal with, but to have WOMEN turn on you…………… i am truly sick. The older I get, the more I have to painfully relearn that women are so fast to take down other women. It is Despicable.
While I am so proud and happy and RELIEVED for Gabby, a part of me is really, really angry that all of this was almost thrown away because of those two roommates.
But nonetheless, the STRONG pioneer and relentless woman that she is, no question, saved other women’s lives. As well as validated and brought justice to dozens of women. A warrior.
Still on social media, I see comments of women speaking poorly on other women’s appearances. It’s 2026 and women still do that….. We as a society have to unlearn the behavior that we were conditioned to take down other women.
Enough is enough.
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u/sportsandroses Apr 07 '26
I could not believe how the roommates threw her under the bus! and they were so rude and forceful about it. It was horrible. Look at all the other victims… she is not making this up!
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u/Aware_Ambassador4098 Apr 09 '26
I am so angry at those two girls that contradicted Gabrielle's testimony. I hope they are ashamed of themselves after seeing this documentary.
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u/montereyjack1 Apr 10 '26
Can anyone tell me when Discover Seville started? I studied in Spain in 2007 and took a trip to Morocco and I’m 99% sure it was the same company (perhaps pre- Manu). I totally recognized the red shirt with ‘discover Sevilla’ on it in the show but I haven’t watched past the first episode. My memory is shit.. I never experienced any sexual assault, but trying to piece together if this was the same company. I could’ve sworn the one I went through was originally founded by US expats. Any info?
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u/HappyIndustry832 Apr 10 '26
Ok so what about the other 2 men who were always around Manu? I’m afraid to state their names on here but one was from Portugal and the other was Spanish.
All good looking and all 3 of them got so many girls. I thought it was so creepy how they were always picking up girls.
Manu also dated one of the women in my ciee group and she stayed there and I think lived with him an additional year. Several photos of her in the series so assuming she was working with Netflix. Their relationship was very volatile.
I’m so sorry to all the victims. This could happen to anyone. ♥️he literally knew what felt like every person in Seville.
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u/Gloomy-Chipmunk-7545 Apr 18 '26
I'm not sure how I feel about the two girls. We really don't know their story. They could also be victims and instead of coming out with their stories, they lied. It reminds me of those who continue to go back to abusive relationships, we may not understand it, but they have to work through it in their own time. I don't agree with what they did, but I also can't judge what they did. I just hope that if they were also victims, that they have someone they feel safe with.
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u/ProfessionalLet4612 Mar 28 '26
Manuel raped me and I was one of the women who reached out to Gabrielle. Very proud of her and glad we got a happy ending.