"The Asunta Case" is a new Netflix true crime series portraying the life and murder of 12-year-old Asunta Fong Yang, who was killed by her adoptive parents in Spain. The drama stars Candela Peña and Tristán Ulloa as the convicted parents, Alfonso Basterra and Rosario Porto, respectively. It is set in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain, where the murder took place.
Asunta, originally from China, was adopted at nine months old by Basterra, a journalist, and Porto, a lawyer. Her disappearance was reported on September 13, 2013, and her body was found shortly after. The investigation revealed discrepancies in Porto's account of the events, and both parents were arrested. Evidence pointed towards the repeated administration of lorazepam, a sedative, to Asunta.
The parents were found guilty in October 2015 after a jury trial and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Rosario Porto died by suicide in November 2020 while serving her sentence. Alfonso Basterra remains in prison with the possibility of an open regime starting in 2025.
The motives for their actions remain unclear, leaving many questions unanswered despite the extensive investigation and media coverage surrounding the case. The Netflix series delves into these events, aiming to provide deeper insights into the unsettling crime, yet it acknowledges that some aspects of the case might never be fully understood.