Donostia: 14 victims of 22-year-old 'candy seller'

Donostia: 14 victims and an alleged 22-year-old abuser in prison

A 22-year-old man from Donostia is in provisional prison accused of abusing at least 14 minors. According to information that has come to light, his method of luring victims was selling 'candies'. The seriousness of the facts has led the judicial authority to order his imprisonment.

The investigation is not recent. Suspicions about this individual date back six years, when he was still a minor. In fact, one of the keys to the case is that the harassment would have continued for at least five years, with a pattern that was not detected in time. Some voices suggest that the scheme is broader and that there could be more people involved, although for now only he is detained.

The profile of the investigated, a challenge to stereotypes

Most baffling is the youth of the accused. At 22, and having started as a minor, the profile is far from the classic 'dirty old man' that usually populates the collective imagination. In public debate, it is stressed that there is no typical age for abuse and that aggressors can be adolescents, which complicates detection and prevention.

The startling fact: among the victims, some are older than the alleged abuser was when he started. That is, while he was a teenager, there were already children suffering his harassment. The justice system will have to determine whether this is an isolated case or the tip of an iceberg that forces a review of child protection protocols.