Four Algerian migrants have been arrested on suspicion of gang-raping and robbing a student in Pamplona, northern Spain. The men, aged between 25 and 33, were living in an illegal tent camp by the River Arga after failing to comply with expulsion orders. They were arrested on Tuesday and remanded in custody by an investigating judge on October 30.
The victim, a university student, was found abandoned and semi-conscious on a park footpath last Friday night. She had been heading home from a party when she was intercepted. Her bag, mobile phone, and underwear were missing, with the latter reportedly discovered at the suspects' camp, which has since been dismantled.
The judge noted inconsistencies in the suspects' statements and concluded, based on hospital reports, that the victim had been subjected to non-consensual sex. DNA tests are pending to confirm or rule out their involvement. Police have also seized the suspects' phones to check for compromising recordings. One of the men has a prior criminal record, though not for sexual offences.
The case has sparked outrage in Pamplona, which was the scene of the 2016 'wolf pack' gang rape during the San Fermín festival. Students gathered on Wednesday to condemn the attack and show solidarity with the victim. Pamplona City Hall held a minute's silence, with a spokesman stating: 'It was to show our total rejection of the sex attack that occurred at the weekend.'
