Rosa Peral rose to fame after a case that encapsulated passion, betrayal, and murder. It was known as the Crimen de la Guardia Urbana and it involved Peral, a former police officer, and her partner, Albert López, both of whom were found guilty of depriving of the life of Peral’s partner, Pedro Rodríguez, in 2017. This incident drew nationwide attention, not just because of its brutality but also because of the twisted relationships and power dynamics involved. This article covers Rosa Peral’s background, the incident itself, the investigation, the trial that followed, and how this case continues to affect Spanish society and the media.
Who is Rosa Peral?
Rosa Peral had been an officer in the Guàrdia Urbana, the municipal police force of Barcelona. She was known for her glamour and aims but her private life was filled with messy affairs and scandal.
Peral had been involved in professional disputes and personal scandals before the events of 2017. In one notable episode, she sued a superior officer over the dissemination of intimate photographs of her without her consent. Although she lost the lawsuit in the end, this episode was a precursor to the scrutiny her personal life would face from the media when she later became a political figure.
Peral’s colleagues were key players in it that would come to unfold. Her romantic entanglements included Pedro Rodríguez, her then-current partner, and Albert López, a former lover and colleague This love triangle would end in murder.
The Death of Pedro Rodríguez
The burned body of Pedro Rodríguez was found on May 4, 2017, in a burned-out vehicle near the Pantà de Foix, a reservoir in the province of Barcelona. The brutality of the tragedy quickly attracted attention, and the police began a widespread investigation.
The evidence soon led to Peral and López. Investigators reconstructed a chilling chain of events:
May 1, 2017: Rodríguez is last seen alive. He is believed to have been killed in the house he had shared with Peral.
Peral’s response: Instead of reporting her partner missing, Peral allegedly carried on with her daily life as if nothing was wrong.
The Cover-Up: Peral and López drove Rodríguez’s body in his car to the isolated reservoir, where they burned the vehicle to try to destroy evidence.
Then even darker facts quintupled: authorities recovered messages and testimonies confirming that there had been a previous agreement between Peral and López about a previous plan to attempt. The motive, prosecutors contended, was a blend of romantic jealousy, personal ambition and a wish to extinguish Rodríguez from the defendants’ lives.
The Investigation and Trial
The investigation revealed a tangled web of lies, manipulation, and conflicting stories from both Peral and López. Each blamed the other, trying to shift responsibility while portraying themselves as victims.
Key Findings in the Investigation
Phone Records and Messages: Conversations between Peral and López before and after that indicated that they had coordinated their actions.
Witness Testimonies: Few presented the recounts Of Peral business’s behaviour and relationships, often basing it off as manipulative and manipulative
Forensic Evidence: Blood spatter found in Peral’s home corroborated the theory that Rodríguez was killed there before being transported.
The prosecution made a compelling case at the 2020 trial that Peral and López had plotted to kill Rodríguez. The jury presented evidence that Peral, despite telling investigators she was innocent, had continued her relationship with López and lied to investigators in a bid to mislead them.
The Verdict and Sentencing
Rosa Peral was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Albert López was sentenced to 20 years.
The two were also ordered to pay Rodriguez’s family €885,000 in damages.
As Peral’s defence tried to find a way to appeal Peinado’s conviction, the Supreme Court upheld the original ruling, cementing her status as one of Spain’s most notorious convicted culprits.
Media Impact and Public Fascination
The Crimen de la Guardia Urbana became a sensation throughout Spain. The police officers’ involvement, the dramatic love triangle and the savage nature of the murder made it one of the most widely discussed criminal cases in recent Spanish history.
Netflix’s “El Cuerpo en Llamas” and Legal Battles
In 2023, Netflix released El Cuerpo en Llamas (“The Burning Body”), a dramatized miniseries based on the case, starring Úrsula Corberó and Quim Gutiérrez. While it attracted millions of viewers, it also sparked controversy.
Rosa Peral filed a €30 million lawsuit against Netflix, arguing that the show violated her rights to privacy and personal image. She claimed that the series exaggerated events and misrepresented her character, further damaging her reputation. The court accepted the lawsuit, marking one of the first cases where a convicted attempter has legally challenged a streaming platform’s portrayal. This lawsuit reignited public debates about ethics in true crime media—how much creative freedom should filmmakers have when depicting real-life crimes?
Recent Developments and Prisoned Life
Peral has continued to be a controversial figure behind bars, in Mas d’Enric prison in Tarragona, where she has been serving her sentence. In July 2023, she was charged with arranging an assault on a staff member of the prison, purportedly to take revenge for being denied privileges. Prison officials still keep close watch over her, since she still wields influence with some inmates. Even so, she has never admitted — she says she was framed, and that the real killer was someone named Albert López.
Key Takeaways from the Case:
- The power of manipulation and deception: The case demonstrated how people can put together convincing narratives to avoid accountability.
- Police misconduct: When police officers are involved in serious cases, it undermines citizens’ faith in authority.
- The true crime media debate: All those dramatizations, like El Cuerpo en Llamas, ask how to handle real-life cases in entertainment.
Rosa Peral’s name has become a shorthand code for betrayal, crime — and the blurry borders of truth and fiction — even years after she was convicted.
Conclusion
The story of Rosa Peral is a tale of love turned deadly, ambition gone awry and justice rendered. The Crimen de la Guardia Urbana would be well remembered for that, not only because of the gruesome details but also because of the legal and media battles that came after.
While Peral sits in jail, one question is left to be answered: Was this a crime of passion, or a calculated killing?