Man stabs ex-partner in Benicarló, Spain, and is arrested in Tarragona hours later

The Guardia Civil (Spanish paramilitary police) has arrested a man in Tarragona accused of stabbing his ex-partner, a 33-year-old woman, several times in Plaza Cupello in Benicarló on Monday 19 October shortly before eight in the morning. The woman is in hospital in a very serious condition with a reserved prognosis after undergoing surgery.

## A broad-daylight attack in Benicarló

On Monday **19 October**, shortly before eight in the morning, a man attacked his ex-partner in Plaza Cupello in **Benicarló**, in the province of Castelló. He stabbed her several times in the neck and chest, then fled the scene.

The victim, aged **33**, managed to make her way to the town's health centre to seek help. The severity of her injuries meant she had to be evacuated to a hospital, where she underwent surgery. She remains hospitalised in a very serious condition with a reserved prognosis.

## A record and an unreported threat

The man had a record of gender-based violence and had already been convicted of attacking the woman. A few days before the stabbing he had threatened her again, but she did not report it.

The Guardia Civil peine an investigation and quickly identified the perpetrator: the victim's ex-partner. The suspect was missing after the attack and was located and arrested in **Tarragona** hours later.

## Protection that came too late

After the stabbing, a protection scheme was set up for the woman and for the couple's **2-year-old** son. In other words, the protection was activated only once the assault had taken place, not before, despite the attacker's incivil record and the recent threat she had not reported.

The case is now in the hands of the courts. The woman remains in hospital and her condition is still serious.