Overview
- Police detained a 76-year-old man in Hondarribia after intercepting him as he allegedly tried to repeat the same hugging-and-kissing maneuver, authorities said Tuesday.
- Investigators have linked at least seven similar complaints since June in which mostly foreign women walking alone were approached, hugged and kissed without consent.
- A hospitalero at the Irún shelter first raised the alarm by speaking with several victims, urging them to report the incidents and contacting the Ertzaintza from Jaizquíbel.
- The suspect remains in police custody and will be brought before the courts while the probe stays open to identify more victims and review earlier incidents.
- Jaizquíbel is the busiest stretch of the Camino de la Costa, with thousands of solo walkers each year, a reality that officials say increases vulnerability and may contribute to underreporting.