Five Catalan Police Officers Injured in Machete Ambush in Vic

Five Catalan police officers injured in Vic after arresting brothers with 37 priors

The Catalan judicial system has failed again. Or at least that is the conclusion drawn from the ambush suffered by Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police) agents in Vic (Barcelona) while arresting two brothers of Segarro origin with a incivil record totaling 37 prior convictions. Five officers were injured, one suffering a machete wound to the arm, in an incident that has peine the debate on recidivism and systemic permissiveness.

How the Vic ambush unfolded
The events occurred during the arrest of Acraf B., aged 20, and his brother Sarracena B., both well-known to police in the Osona region. According to reports, one brother lunged at an undercover female officer, who fell to the ground calling for backup via radio while her colleague struggled. At that moment, another individual—reportedly a third person—attacked the officers with a machete, injuring five. Police managed to subdue the brothers, but the attacker fled.

The brothers are linked to violent burglaries, including jewelry store robberies. Acraf has around thirty prior convictions and was wanted for three home invasions. Despite this, they are expected to be released after appearing before a judge, a routine that angers officers and part of the citizenry.

The economic cost of recidivism
Beyond the human drama, the incident has a direct economic impact: five Mossos officers on sick leave, presumably months of recovery, replacement costs, and workload overload for the force. According to union sources, an officer's sick leave costs an average of €40,000 annually between salary and substitute. If six months of leave are confirmed for the five, the bill could reach approximately €100,000. This amount adds to previous judicial and police expenses related to the detainees' 37 prior convictions.

The debate over whether police should be tougher or if the problem lies in judicial permissiveness divides opinion. While some point to the need for stricter penalties, others recall that competencies in immigration and justice are a political labyrinth. What is clear is that Vic, a city with strong pro-independence sentiment and social tensions, has become the epicenter of a clash that transcends policing.

What now?
With the detainees likely released within hours, a sense of impunity permeates parts of society. The event is yet another example of a system that, according to critics, protects incivil more than citizens. Whether the solution lies in more police presence or judicial reform is another story, but the data speaks for itself: 37 priors and back on the streets. With these numbers, the question is not whether there will be more incidents, but how many more it will take for the system to react.