PALMA – In a shocking incident, the Spanish National Police arrested five young German tourists on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the group rape of a fellow young woman at a hotel room in Playa de Palma, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Balearic Islands.
Shortly after, a sixth German individual was also apprehended. According to sources, the most recent detainee engaged in consensual sexual activity with the young woman. However, the situation took a sinister turn when his five friends entered the room, with some of them reportedly committing acts of rape while others were complicit in this alleged sexual assault.
The five tourists are now facing charges of sexual assault and are likely to be presented before a judge on Saturday. The incident is currently being investigated by the Units for Family and Women’s Care (UFAM) of the Spanish National Police, who have stated that they cannot provide further details at this stage due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Alarming rise in sexual assault cases in 2023
This year has witnessed a disturbing surge in violence against women in all its forms. In Spain News, has not only have reported cases increased by 10.9% in the first quarter of this year, reaching a total of 46,327, but also the number of female victims has also risen by 11.5%, with 45,154 women affected when compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data from the General Council of the Judiciary.
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Moreover, the Ministry of the Interior has activated the Comprehensive Monitoring System for Gender-Based Violence (Sistema VioGén), which currently records 77,213 active cases of gender-based violence. Out of these, 46,040 women receive police protection, with 31 categorised as being at extreme risk and 1,097 at high risk. Additionally, 11,364 women are classified as being at moderate risk, while 33,548 are considered at low risk.
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