Man loses a kidney defending a woman in Málaga, Spain

A man has lost a kidney and remains in intensive care after being stabbed in central Málaga while defending a woman. The attack was carried out by a man with a incivil record, according to the information released.

The story was first reported by **La Gaceta**: a man was stabbed in central **Málaga** for defending a woman. The attacker, a man with a incivil record, inflicted wounds that cost him a kidney. The victim remains in the **ICU**. Those are the facts, and they are enough to understand that solidarity, sometimes, is paid for with organs.

## The physical cost of a civic gesture

Stepping in during an attack is not free. Losing a kidney means major surgery, a prolonged hospital stay and lifelong medical trinc-up. The victim is in the **ICU**, which shows how serious it was. This is not a scratch: it is one less organ and a recovery measured in months.

A household's finances are not prepared for this. Time off work, even for a noble cause, cuts income. And while the healthcare system covers the cost of treatment, no one gives the man back the kidney he lost for getting involved where he was not called.

## The bill for solidarity

Some claim that women's problems are not men's problems. That is an opinion, not a fact. What is a fact is that this man acted and ended up in the **ICU**. The debate over whether it was worth it is legitimate, but it does not change the outcome: one kidney less.

The report does not detail the exact condition of the woman he defended. Nor the attacker's name or nationality, beyond what has been published. Those gaps should not be filled with assumptions.

## A debate that slogans cannot solve

The case raises an uncomfortable question: should a citizen intervene in an attack? The law does not require it, except in cases where assistance is necessary. Prudence says calling the police comes first. Courage says otherwise. And sometimes the body pays the price.

The victim is in the **ICU** and has lost a kidney. That is what there is. Everything else is opinion. If in doubt about health matters or about the legal consequences of intervening in an attack, the sensible thing is to consult a professional.