Malaga child abuse: fifth victim of coastal town karate instructor testifies in court

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The 71-year-old defendant was well-respected in Torremolinos prior to the accusations

Irene Quirante

Monday, 2 February 2026, 11:11

The investigation into the child abuse accusations against 71-year-old karate trainer and former national team coach Lorenzo ML has summoned a fifth victim to testify in court. The defendant was arrested in Torremolinos and has since been held in custody.

According to the young man's account, Lorenzo M took advantage of individual training sessions to abuse him, more than a decade ago. The reported assaults went on for years and the intensity with which the trainer approached his victim increased.

According to the fifth witness, he was unable to talk about his abuse until the arrest of the karate instructor and the press release. Even then, he was hesitant for some time, as nobody knew about his case.

Joint complaint

The judicial investigation began last summer, after one of the victims decided to open up to a friend, who had also been a student of Lorenzo M, after which this second boy revealed to him that he too had been abused by the investigated man when he was a minor. The same happened with a third victim.

Five years ago, another boy also told his mother about his ordeal. According to sources close to the case, the mother then tried to find out if there were more victims, but in the course of the investigations she allegedly received "pressure" from the suspect's circle that made her son decide not to report the case for fear of possible reprisals.

She contacted the Redime association in Malaga, which specialises in helping adult victims of child abuse. That was when the victims, now aged between 20 and 25, decided to file a joint complaint to prevent further abuse by their former karate teacher. The association's lawyer brought the matter to the attention of the National Police.

According to the investigation, the victims had suffered abuse between the ages of seven and 15-16. Their cases possibly date back to 2010.

Outstanding students

According to the investigation, Lorenzo M had a predilection for young talents. He allegedly showered his victims with gifts and favours and emotionally and psychologically manipulated from a very young age.

He would give the children favourable treatment in order to gain the trust of their families and to make sure that his students would not reveal the abuse.

Lorenzo M had a long career in karate, as he began teaching in 1979, being the instructor who guided dozens of elite athletes in their competitive careers. He was one of the most renowned figures at national and international level, which is why he was appointed national coach in 2014.

He was also the founder of the Goju Ryu Club in the municipality, of which he was the head, the oldest and most awarded in Andalucía, as well as one of the members of one of the most prestigious public schools in the province, located in Malaga city. In addition, he was a municipal employee of the sports board for several years and in 2021 he was awarded the medal of Torremolinos in the category of sporting merit.

Lorenzo M was dismissed by the Spanish karate federation from his position as national coach of the cadet, junior and under-21 categories once it became aware of his arrest. The organisation and Redime have joined the proceedings as private prosecutors.