BARCELONA, SPAIN (AP) – Spanish police have arrested six German tourists for allegedly raping an 18-year-old German woman on Spain’s Mallorca island, authorities said.
Police on the Mediterranean island said the alleged gang rape occurred in a hotel room in the popular tourist spot of Playa de Palma early Thursday. Five were arrested within hours and a sixth, who initially fled the scene, was arrested later in the day.
The six detainees are tourists ages 20 and 21. They are being held at police facilities and are expected to testify before a judge. The woman was also on vacation.
According to the woman’s statement to police, the gang rape occurred around 3.40am on Thursday.
On Wednesday evening, the woman, along with a group of friends, visited the Playa de Palma boulevard, a popular spot for young German tourists in Mallorca. There she met one of the detained and after drinking, went to his hotel room where there were five other men drinking.
The victim said she tried to leave the room but was prevented from doing so by the occupants, according to her statement to police.
She was then allegedly raped by several of the detainees, the statement said.
The woman managed to flee the room and alerted the receptionist, who called the police.
Five of the arrested were at the hotel when police arrived.
Gang rape is considered an aggravating factor that can carry sentences of up to 15 years of prison in Spain. Several cases of gang rape in recent years have shocked the country.
