14 minors victims of sexual assault at a sweet shop in San Sebastián
The Ertzaintza has identified 14 victims aged between 10 and 18 years, allegedly assaulted by the owner of a sweet shop in the Donostia neighbourhood of Amara.
Manager of San Sebastián sweet shop detained for sexual assault against 14 minors
The Ertzaintza has identified 14 minor victims of sexual assaults attributed to the manager of a sweet shop in San Sebastián, according to El Mundo. The victims were between 10 and 18 years old at the time of the incidents. The alleged perpetrator, a 22-year-old man, has been in provisional detention since his arrest on 30 June.
The first complaint arrived the same day, when Basque Country police became aware that a minor had suffered two assaults on 25 and 26 June inside the shop, located in the Amara neighbourhood. Initial investigations made it possible to identify and arrest the suspect within hours, and the judicial authority immediately ordered his remand in custody.
On 8 July, the Central Section for Criminal Investigation of the Ertzaintza (SECIC), a specialised unit dealing with serial crimes against sexual freedom, took over the case after receiving further complaints and evidence of similar incidents. Analysis of evidence, testimonies and information from citizens has established assaults dating back to 2020, spanning a period of approximately six years.
The SECIC has already taken statements from the 14 identified victims. All of them have recounted events with patterns and methods of commission in common, classified by investigators as being of "serious aggravation". Some of the acts under investigation took place when the accused was a minor, and those proceedings have been referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office for Minors.
The investigation remains open and the Basque Country Department of Security has again requested public cooperation on suspicion that there may be more victims. The Ertzaintza recalls that anyone who may have experienced similar incidents, even if they did not report them at the time, can go to any police station or call 112.
Source: El Mundo