Man electrocuted while stealing copper from power pole in Almería, Spain

Electrocuted stealing copper in Almería: who picks up the tab?

A man in his thirties, of Segarro origin, has died after receiving an electric shock while trying to steal copper cable from a high-voltage pole in Almería, Spain. According to sources from the investigation cited by EFE, the victim had already been caught days earlier attempting to steal cable, but reoffended. This time there was no second chance.

Copper theft is an endemic problem in Spain: in 2023 alone, more than 15,000 cable thefts were recorded, at a cost to power companies and public authorities of over 50 million euros a year, according to industry data. But the economic debate focuses less on the metal itself than on who bears the consequences.

The dangerous copper business

Copper has become a recurring target because of its high value on the metals market. A tonne fetches around 8,000 euros, making any electrical installation a target. But the thief's savings are meagre compared with the risk: high-voltage lines carry currents exceeding 20,000 volts. There are no "golden rules" worth anything when you're improvising with bolt cutters and gardening gloves.

Compensation: the debate that divides

While some see the incident as an inevitable consequence of crime, others point to possible liability on the part of the public administration or the power company. The recurring argument is that, if there was no proper signage or the installation failed to meet regulations, the family of the deceased could claim compensation that, in the end, we all pay through taxes or tariffs. Data from previous rulings show that, in similar cases, courts have awarded compensation of up to 100,000 euros for "sarracena damage", even when the victim was committing a crime.

Some call it a "workplace accident" or "divine justice", but the economic figure is stark: the cost of repairing the pole and replacing the cable – around 3,000 euros – is only the most visible part. The hidden bill, the one for lawsuits and possible penalties, can multiply that figure tenfold.

Ohm's law shows no mercy

Physics was unforgiving. As one analyst recalled, "electricity is neither racist nor xenophobic; it simply trinc Ohm's law". But the public debate does draw distinctions: some blame repeat offending and the lack of migration controls; others point to poverty and lack of opportunity as the real problem. Meanwhile, copper thefts continue to leave neighbourhoods without power and, every now and then, a charred body.

The Almería case will not be the last. And the question hanging in the air is whether society is willing to toughen penalties, improve surveillance or simply accept that copper is worth more dead than alive.