Isha Sesay
TWO off duty security guards in Mallorca have been hailed as heroes by the Policia Nacional after saving a victim of domestic violence.
The pair had gone above and beyond to save their neighbour from the clutches of her allegedly abusive husband during the lockdown.
Police say the men, who both work as security cards for a local supermarket, rushed to the victim’s aid after hearing her cries for help.
Rushing upstairs to check on her safety, the guards had witnessed the husband punching his wife, who they said showed signs of physical abuse.
After holding him down on the floor using a control and restraint manoeuvre, the woman called the police for immediate assistance.
The victim told officers that her husband had repeatedly punched her and that she had tried to escape by fleeing to the bathroom.
Failing to out-run her partner, he beat her again before the security guards interrupted the abuse by knocking on the door.
Corroborating the events with the heroic men, the husband, who is considered as ‘extremely violent,’ was taken to the police station where he was charged with gender violence.
After determining the woman to be at ‘extreme risk,’ investigators from the Family and Women’s Care Unit (UFAM) ordered her transfer to a safe home.
The arrest comes after figures revealed that reports of domestic abuse have increased in Spain during the lockdown.
According to a study by El Pais, from March 14 to 29, the 016 helpline received 3,382 requests, representing an increase of 18% from the same period last year.
Fearing a surge in abuse, several campaigns have been launched across the country to safeguard victims.
This includes turning pharmacies into ‘safe places,’ where by using the keyword mascrilla-19, clerks will know to activate the victim protection protocol against gender violence and call the police.
