The Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested in Barcelona the alleged perpetrator of two sexual assaults and violent robberies against two homeless women in Barcelona (Barcelonés) and Blanes (Selva) on July 2 and 20 respectively. The detainee, 44 years old and with a criminal record, took advantage of the victims being in isolated places to attack them. He was brought before the duty Investigating Court of Blanes, which ordered his imprisonment.
According to the Catalan police, investigators learned that in the early hours of July 20 a sexual assault had occurred against a woman in a vacant lot in Blanes, near the fairgrounds set up for the town festival. The victim, homeless, usually spent the night there. A man she had recently met hit and sexually assaulted her and, despite her attempts to defend herself, also stole a watch and 20 euros in cash. A fair worker who was in his caravan near the scene heard the victim’s screams and came outside. This caused the attacker to flee.
The first assistance to the victim was provided by the Blanes Local Police, but the Investigation Unit (UI) of the mossos from the local police station took over the investigation. They were able to establish that the perpetrator was a man who had worked temporarily at one of the fair attractions. They found out that he had left without notice and had also stolen items from the fair worker who had given him a job.
The agents’ investigations allowed them to identify the attacker and, thanks to the detection of similar behavioral patterns by the sexual assault specialists of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC), this criminal act was linked to another of the same nature, which was already being investigated by this unit. Specifically, on July 2 in the city of Barcelona, a similar sexual assault was committed in which the perpetrator could be the same man.
In this case, also in the early hours, the victim was sitting on a bench near Sants station when, after starting a conversation, the attacker began to hit her, forcibly moved her to a garden area, sexually assaulted her, and before leaving stole her purse, mobile phone, and 65 euros. In both cases, the victims were people of special vulnerability, being homeless.
The investigators managed to locate the alleged perpetrator of the two sexual assaults in Barcelona and a device was set up to locate and arrest him. The arrest was carried out in the Eixample district shortly before eight in the evening on July 24 by plainclothes officers from the Grup Fures, in coordination with the investigation agents from Blanes and under the direction of the Regional Operational Shift Chief.
The man, 44 years old, was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault and violent robbery for the Blanes assault and is also attributed by the sexual assault specialists of the DIC with a sexual assault and violent robbery against the Barcelona victim. The detainee, with a criminal record, was brought on July 26 before the duty investigating court of Blanes, which ordered his imprisonment.
