33-year-old man remanded in custody on suspicion of rape of minor in Arrasate
A 33-year-old man has been remanded in custody after being arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl during the early hours of Saturday at the Maritxu Kajoi festivities in Arrasate. His accomplice, aged 20, was already being held in provisional custody.
Custody for alleged Arrasate rapist
A 33-year-old man has been remanded in custody after being arrested on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl in the early hours of Friday to Saturday at the Maritxu Kajoi festivities in Arrasate, according to reporting by Diario Vasco. The judge ordered his remand on Saturday following his appearance before the court, after the Ertzaintza located him in Ermua, where he had been at an unknown whereabouts since failing to appear at Bergara court on Wednesday.
The suspect had been released on Tuesday after appearing before the on-duty judge in Eibar, but breached the obligation to appear the following day. The incident was discovered when local police received a report of an unconscious young woman in Monterrón park. After being taken to Arrasate hospital, the girl initially had no memory of what happened and returned home without the sexual assault protocol being activated.
However, a few hours later she began to experience pain in the genital area. Upon checking her mobile phone, she discovered a video in which she appeared walking alongside two men. According to sources consulted, both men had allegedly convinced her to accompany them to Monterrón park, where they supposedly assaulted her. That Saturday the girl returned to hospital, where doctors found injuries consistent with sexual assault and informed the authorities.
The Ertzaintza arrested the 33-year-old man on Saturday in Soraluze. A second suspect, aged 20, was arrested in the same locality on Sunday evening. After appearing before Eibar court, both were initially released with the obligation to present themselves in Bergara. The younger suspect complied with the summons and was remanded in provisional custody. The 33-year-old did not attend, which led to an arrest warrant until his location on Friday.
The detained man now in custody has a criminal history related to another sexual assault. The second suspect was already in provisional custody before the first man's remand. On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Plaza Seber Altube to condemn what had occurred and express solidarity with the victim and her family. The Feminist Movement's rally received broad public support.
The events brought to light a series of complex judicial proceedings between Eibar and Bergara. After being arrested, the suspects were taken to the on-duty court in Eibar, where their first appearance was to take place in accordance with the law. The Gipuzkoa Public Prosecutor's Office requested an extension of the detention in order to hear from the victim before ruling on the precautionary measure. The Eibar judge, however, did not grant the extension nor did he take a statement from the minor, but instead released them under the obligation to present themselves in Bergara, where the investigation is being conducted as it is the place where the offence occurred.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)