The Murderous True Story Of Rosa Peral And Netflix’s Burning Body

The series “Burning Body” and the documentary both come to the same conclusion, ultimately, but “Rosa Peral’s Tapes” paints a much more sympathetic portrait of the former policewoman. In an attempt to humanize Peral, it was crucial for filmmakers Carles Vidal Novellas and Manuel Pérez Cázeres to delve into her backstory and her sordid, complicated love life before she ever even laid eyes on Pedro Rodriguez and Albert Lopez. 

In her first interview from behind bars, Peral speaks about multiple past relationships including a man named Ruben who became the father of her two daughters. During that time, she was also involved with Oscar, a fellow police officer who betrayed her privacy by sharing private photographs of Rosa without her consent. The images circulated around the department, making her professional life unbearable. 

During the trial, the prosecution zeroed in on Peral’s past discretions in an attempt to discredit her story and her character. Peral may have been playing the victim to gain sympathy in the documentary, but she also may have been unfairly maligned over the course of a very lengthy trial. She is currently serving a 25-year sentence. Albert Lopez, in contrast, was sentenced to twenty years behind bars. 

“Burning Body” and “Rosa Peral’s Tapes” are now streaming on Netflix.