A professional pianist in Spain is facing a seven-and-a-half-year jail
sentence for playing her instrument eight hours a day, five days a week,
according to her former neighbor in Puigcerdà, Girona.
Prosecutors are seeking the sentence for crimes against the environment -
acoustic contamination - and the psychological damage caused to Sonia
B. between 2003 and 2007. Defense lawyers for the musician, Laia Martin,
have asked that the case be thrown out, describing the complaint as
“completely disproportionate.”
Both the defendant and her parents,
who face the same sentence as accessories to the fact,
deny the claims of Sonia B., who in turn stated that not only did Laia
Martin’s mother enter her apartment and concur that the sound of the
piano was louder there than in her own home, but also that Laia Martin
had to be restrained by her father while attempting to hit the
defendant. Medical reports state that Sonia B. suffered hearing damage,
panic attacks and problems during her pregnancy as a result of the
“environmental auditory stress.”
Laia Martin refutes the charges, stating that she could not have been
playing the piano when Sonia B. claims, as she was studying outside of
Puigcerdà. The defendants also said that they had attempted to
soundproof the room containing the piano. In addition to the sentence,
prosecutors are seeking to have Laia Martin banned from any profession
that involves a piano for four years, a fine of 10,800 euros and damages
of 9,900 euros. The trial is expected to conclude this week.
There's a news video in Spanish
here.
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