Posted by: Carol
Madrid Mugging April 30, 2001 - 05/03/01 02:51 AM
My husband and I were attacked from behind by a group of five men, in daylight with several nearby witnesses, on a sidewalk in Madrid on Monday, April 30. We were each brought to the ground and choked repeatedly by four of the guys, while a fifth drew a large knife and cut my husband's wallet out of his clothes. We both sustained numerous injuries and he lost his wallet and I my purse which contained only a camera and a few pesetas. We never have experienced violent crime in Europe before but some of the witnesses to the incident told us that it happens daily in Madrid, regardless of the time of day or the number of people present.They told us that the attackers were not Gypsies but "Moros". The police took a report but seemed pretty unconcerned in general, and never inquired about our physical injuries. The modus operandi seems to be for individual gang members to stand here and there, inconspicuously until a likely target appears. Then the leader calls out a signal to the others and they all converge running from different spots to tackle the victims from the rear, frighten them with chokeholds, knives and beating, and then to "liberate" any valuables, hidden or not. The locals said that the last two years have seen a big increase in violent crime in Madrid. We sadly ended our trip after this incident, feeling no longer in much of a holiday mood. This had been our third trip to Spain. We will think long and hard about returning again.