Pilar Prades facts for kids

Pilar Prades Expósito (1928 – 19 May 1959) was a Spanish maid. She was found guilty of a serious crime involving poison. Pilar Prades was the last woman to be executed in Spain.

Pilar Prades' Early Life and Work

Pilar Prades was born in 1928 in a small town called Bejís in Spain. Her family was not wealthy. When she was just twelve years old, she moved to Valencia to work as a maid.

Pilar could not read or write. She was also a quiet person. She worked in several homes over the years. In 1954, she started working for Enrique Vilanova and Adela Pascual. This couple owned a food shop in Valencia. Pilar helped in their home and sometimes at the shop counter.

The Illnesses and Investigation

On March 19, Adela Pascual became very sick. Doctors first thought it was the flu, but she sadly passed away. After Adela's death, Enrique Vilanova asked Pilar to leave. He then closed his shop and left Valencia.

Pilar soon found a new job. She began working for a military doctor named Manuel Berenguer and his wife, Mª del Carmen Cid. Aurelia Sanz Hernanz, their cook, had recommended Pilar. Not long after Pilar started, Aurelia also became ill. Dr. Berenguer was worried. He took Aurelia to the hospital, and she started to get better.

Then, Dr. Berenguer's wife began to show the same symptoms. He decided to get help from other doctors. They did tests and found poison in his wife's system. Dr. Berenguer suspected Pilar. He contacted Enrique Vilanova to share his concerns. He then reported Pilar to the authorities. Adela Pascual's body was dug up and tested. The tests showed that she had also died from arsenic poison.

The Trial and Sentence

The evidence against Pilar Prades was not completely clear. She confessed after being questioned for a very long time without food or sleep. However, a small bottle of ant killer, which contained arsenic, was found among her belongings. This was believed to be the poison used.

Pilar's lawyer advised her to plead guilty. But Pilar insisted she was innocent. Despite her plea, she was found guilty. She was sentenced to death by a method called garrote. This was a form of execution used in Spain at the time.

Pilar Prades' Execution

Pilar Prades' execution was planned for May 19, 1959. The person chosen to carry it out was Antonio López Sierra. When he learned that the person to be executed was a woman, he did not want to do it.

The execution was supposed to happen at six in the morning. But it was delayed for more than two hours. Everyone was waiting to see if a pardon would arrive. A pardon is an official forgiveness that would stop the execution. However, the pardon never came. Pilar Prades was executed, making her the last woman to be executed in Spain.

Pilar Prades in Popular Culture

Pilar Prades' story has inspired many works of art and media:

• A radio show in Argentina was based on her life. It was often called La galleguita de la cara sucia, which means 'The little Galician girl with the dirty face'. It was very popular.
• The story of the executioner being forced to carry out the execution inspired a famous movie. This movie was called The Executioner (1963) and was directed by Luis García Berlanga.
• In a documentary called Dear Executioners, the executioner Antonio López was asked about Pilar Prades' execution.
• In 1985, a TV show in Spain called La huella del crimen (The Mark of the Crime) made an episode about Pilar Prades. The actress Terele Pávez played Pilar in this episode. Pilar's brother, José Prades, later sued the TV station and the writer. He felt they had damaged his sister's reputation. However, the lawsuit was dismissed.

See also

In Spanish: Pilar Prades para niños