Galician Teen Recants Gang Rape Claim, Sparking Controversy in Ferrol

Assisted by a lawyer, the young woman declared to the police on Saturday that she had never been raped, reports Europa Press. She changed her version as the investigation into the gang rape of which she had claimed to be a victim is ongoing. The alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault, a man of Moroccan origin, has been arrested. The accused is subject to an expulsion order that has not been executed. Three other young men, his accomplices, are actively being sought.

In her initial complaint, the young woman claimed to have been raped on Wednesday morning on the Plaza de España, as she was on her way to her home, on Galiano Street. She specified that she had met four young men of Moroccan origin on the way. According to her account, one of them first approached her to engage in conversation and gain her trust. Then the three others would have surrounded her and dragged her to the entrance of the parking lot, threatened her with a knife and beaten her until she lost consciousness before raping her.

The case has sparked outrage among the residents of the neighborhood, who denounce the growing insecurity in the city. "We cannot imagine that such a thing could happen in broad daylight," comments a resident. "Ferrol was a quiet city; today, we are afraid for our daughters," declares a mother who lives near the scene of the assault. This incident also reignites the debate on the effectiveness of the legal mechanisms for executing expulsions. In this case, the detainee continued to reside in Galicia, despite a firm expulsion order.

"The effectiveness of the system depends on the police and judicial resources available to identify and detain persons prohibited from staying in Spain," explain experts consulted by Periodista Digital. According to sources, the suspect had been identified a few weeks earlier for minor thefts, but had never been arrested. For their part, human rights associations call for not criminalizing the entire migrant community for individual acts. They call for greater police and judicial effectiveness to protect potential victims.