Two men, one of Cuban nationality and the other Argentine, were arrested in the town of Terrassa, in the province of Barcelona, for their alleged involvement in a violent sexual assault on a 37-year-old woman.
Both have criminal records and were arrested on March 23 by the Catalan autonomous police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, following the victim’s report, according to local media.
However, the day after being brought before the court, they were released with charges, which caused great concern among the victim’s circle.
The woman, who is receiving specialized attention from the Victim Support Group (GAV) of the Catalan police, later reported having received a death threat from an anonymous call.
Although it is suspected that the call came from one of the two arrested individuals, it has not been confirmed which of the two involved made it.
A night that ended in a nightmare
The events took place during a dinner and party at an apartment in Terrassa, in the Vallès Occidental region.
The victim attended the meeting invited by a friend, who was accompanied by her partner and another unknown man.
According to the woman in her report, she smoked marijuana during the evening, but suspects that she was drugged with an adulterated joint, as shortly after she began to feel disoriented and weak.
“I started to notice that I was losing my strength, everything was spinning around me.”, she recounted.
From that moment on, her memory begins to fragment.
The woman remembers being violently sexually assaulted by the two men for several hours, and also accuses her friend of having tried to suffocate her.
She managed to take refuge in the bathroom, from where she contacted some friends. They arrived at the location, took her to emergency services, and later accompanied her to file a report with the Mossos.
Arrest, charges, and threats
With the information provided by the victim, the Catalan police managed to arrest the two suspects the following day. After appearing before the Terrassa court, the judge did not impose preventive detention, but did enforce a restraining order of 500 meters and prohibited contact with the victim.
Despite this protective measure, at least one of the detainees reportedly contacted her through an anonymous call and threatened her with death, which constitutes a crime of breaching a judicial order. Nonetheless, no new arrest has taken place.
The victim reports revictimization
The woman has expressed that she lives in fear of being found by the two men, who are believed to be known in the criminal circles of Terrassa.
Additionally, she has received medical and psychological assistance, but she reports that she has not had effective judicial protection.
It has also been noted that during the court interrogation she was re-victimized, something that unfortunately is common in cases of sexual assault.
The Mossos d’Esquadra have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that the victim has been treated according to protocol. However, the two men remain at liberty, despite the imposed measures and the complaint for threats.
Second case in less than a week involving Cubans in sexual assaults
On April 2nd, news emerged of the arrest of six more Cubans – aged between 21 and 39 – accused of a presumed group sexual assault against a 19-year-old woman in the municipality of Telde, on the island of Gran Canaria.
In that case, the events occurred in the early hours of March 16 inside an industrial warehouse located in the El Goro area, where they worked.
The victim was previously acquainted with her attackers, as stated in remarks to Radio Nacional de España by the spokesperson for the Superior Police Headquarters of Las Palmas.
During the interview, the young woman stated that, although she could not remember all the details of what happened due to being under the influence of substances and in a semi-conscious state, she was certain that she had been sexually assaulted by at least three men.
The police intervention occurred after the victim’s partner and her father alerted the authorities, having gone to them after the young woman recounted the events in a state of nervousness, agitation, and confusion.
The young woman, who arrived at her home by taxi after the alleged attack, reportedly sent a message to her partner stating that “everyone had touched her,” a phrase that was crucial for initiating the police investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions about the alleged sexual assault case in Terrassa, Spain
Two men, one of Cuban nationality and the other Argentine, were arrested for their alleged involvement in a violent sexual assault against a 37-year-old woman in Terrassa, province of Barcelona. The victim reported having been drugged and sexually assaulted during a party.
After being arrested, both men were released with charges by the judge, who also imposed a restraining order of 500 meters and a prohibition on contact with the victim. Despite these measures, at least one of the detainees reportedly violated the order by contacting the victim through an anonymous call.
The case in Terrassa adds to other recent incidents involving Cuban citizens in sexual assaults in Spain, raising concern and having a negative impact on the perception of the Cuban community in the country. This context of repeated cases of sexual violence has alerted authorities and society to the need to strengthen protection and prevention measures.