A man has been arrested in Murcia accused of imprisoning and brutally abusing a woman who had been reported missing since 2024, in a case that has shocked Spain.
The National Police confirmed the arrest of Alberto S., around 54 years of age, after a 38-year-old Moroccan woman escaped from a house in the village of San José de la Vega where she had allegedly been held captive for almost two years. The case is being investigated as gender-based violence.
The woman disappeared shortly after arriving in the region more than two years ago. Her family reported her missing on 1 April 2024, but for months investigators believed she may have returned voluntarily to her home country. That theory was finally shattered this week when she managed a dramatic escape.
According to police sources, the victim was locked inside the property and prevented from leaving. The suspect allegedly secured the house whenever he went out, effectively cutting her off from the outside world for nearly two years.
Her escape came on Tuesday, when she took advantage of a moment of inattention while her alleged captor slept. She climbed a ladder in the garden, scaled the fence and fled to a nearby medical centre. Doctors found her with multiple bruises, a head wound, several missing teeth and blindness in one eye, an injury believed to have been inflicted some time ago.
In her testimony, the woman described repeated physical and sexual assaults and extreme cruelty. She told investigators she was tied to a stretcher and beaten, locked naked in an unheated bathroom, threatened with weapons and constantly intimidated to stop her from trying to escape.
The investigation was taken over by the National Police’s Family and Women’s Assistance Unit (UFAM). Armed with a court warrant, officers searched the house and reportedly found knives, firearms, drugs and the stretcher described by the victim.
Alberto S. was arrested at the property, apparently unaware that the woman had escaped. Three local neighbours were also arrested for allegedly failing to report the crime, as police believe they were aware of the situation.
The suspect is due to appear before Murcia’s Court for Violence Against Women No. 1 accused of unlawful detention, sexual assault and ongoing abuse. The victim remains under protection and is receiving specialised care.
Neighbours described the man as “dangerous” and linked him to drug dealing. One said hearing a woman cry out months ago did not surprise him: “He always seemed aggressive. He looked like a madman.”
