Watch Dolores: The Truth About the Wanninkhof Case

Dolores: The Truth About the Wanninkhof Case is a gripping true crime docuseries that explores the murder of a young woman in Spain in 1999 and the wrongful conviction of another woman for the crime. The show premiered on HBO Max in 2021 and was directed by Alessandra Celesia.

At the center of the series is the case of Rocío Wanninkhof, a Dutch-Spanish woman who was brutally murdered in the coastal town of Mijas in southern Spain. The investigation into Rocío's death was plagued with problems from the beginning, as police were initially focused on the wrong suspect and seemed more interested in getting a quick conviction than in finding the truth. Eventually, a young woman named Dolores Vázquez was arrested and charged with the crime.

Dolores, a former lover of Rocío's mother, quickly became the target of suspicion in the case, despite there being no physical evidence or eyewitnesses linking her to the murder. Nevertheless, the prosecution built a case against Dolores based largely on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of witnesses who claimed to have seen her near the crime scene on the night of the murder.

Despite maintaining her innocence throughout the trial, Dolores was eventually convicted of Rocío's murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. It would be years before her conviction was finally overturned, thanks in large part to the efforts of Rocío's family and a team of dedicated lawyers who refused to give up on the case.

The series follows the story of the Wanninkhof case through the perspectives of several key players, including members of Rocío's family, prosecutors, police investigators, and Dolores herself. Through interviews and archival footage, the filmmakers piece together a complex web of relationships, prejudices, and institutional failures that led to Dolores' wrongful conviction.

One of the most compelling aspects of the series is the way it delves into the psychological toll the case took on everyone involved. For Rocío's family, the loss of their daughter was devastating, and the years of waiting for justice to be served only added to their pain. For Dolores, the ordeal of being accused of a crime she didn't commit and spending years in prison had a profound impact on her mental health and sense of self.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the series is expertly crafted and never feels exploitative or sensationalistic. The filmmakers take a measured approach to the material, allowing the story to unfold at a natural pace while also highlighting the key moments of tension and conflict. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving viewers eager to find out what happens next.

The performances of the actors involved are uniformly excellent, with Claudia Gusmano turning in a particularly powerful performance as Dolores. Gusmano convincingly conveys the range of emotions Dolores must have experienced throughout the case, from anger and frustration to despair and, eventually, a fierce determination to clear her name.

Overall, Dolores: The Truth About the Wanninkhof Case is an impressive and thought-provoking series that sheds light on a little-known case of injustice. Through its meticulous attention to detail and compassionate treatment of its subjects, the show offers a sobering reminder of the human cost of flawed criminal justice systems.

Dolores: The Truth About the Wanninkhof Case is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (6 episodes). The series first aired on October 26, 2021.