Spanish Police Detain Malian Suspect in Alcalá de Henares Rape Case

Spain’s National Police have arrested a 21-year-old Malian man on suspicion of raping a 21-year-old Spanish woman near the migrant reception centre in Alcalá de Henares, east of Madrid. The assault occurred on 28 June at roughly 19:00 along a dirt path bordering the Primo de Rivera barracks, which houses the government-run Centro de Acogida y Emergencia de Inmigrantes (CAED). Investigators say closed-circuit cameras on the centre’s perimeter captured images of the attacker striking and sexually assaulting the victim before fleeing. Analysis of the footage and witness accounts enabled officers from the Family and Women’s Protection Unit to identify the suspect, who was taken into custody inside the CAED around 15:00 on Tuesday. He faces charges of sexual assault and causing bodily harm. The case has stoked political tension locally. Alcalá de Henares mayor Judith Piquet praised the swift police work but urged the central government’s delegate, Francisco Martín, to clarify whether the suspect was accommodated at the facility at the time of the attack. Martín has countered by calling on the mayor to avoid speculation. Residents’ groups have also pressed for more information about security around the centre.