FOUR men have been arrested over an alleged gang rape of a young woman at a university party in Pamplona – sparking fears of another ‘wolf pack’ attack in the Spanish city nearly ten years later.
The suspects, all of North African origin, were detained on Tuesday after the victim reported being sexually assaulted near a university tent hosting hundreds of students during weekend festivities, according to Spanish daily El Español.
Pamplona Municipal Police found the woman semi-conscious under a tree shortly before midnight on Saturday, with investigators believing the attack took place in a camping area between Beloso and Caballos de Goñi.
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The case has drawn immediate comparisons to the notorious 2016 La Manada (wolf pack) gang rape that occurred during Pamplona’s San Fermin bull-running festival, which became one of Spain’s most high-profile sexual assault cases and sparked nationwide protests.
The four suspects remain in police custody and are expected to appear before a judge on Wednesday, who will decide whether they should be remanded in prison.
Police sources told El Español that investigators are reviewing footage from more than 300 CCTV cameras across Pamplona to identify the perpetrators and reconstruct the events leading up to the attack.
The assault occurred near the university tent erected at CD Amaya stadium, an annual event that attracts hundreds of students to celebrate the weekend festivities.
Disturbingly, the attack happened despite the presence of a ‘Purple Point’ – a designated safe space where women can report incidents and seek help to prevent such assaults.
Sources close to the investigation have also criticised Pamplona Town Hall for allegedly ignoring police reports warning about the risks posed by the camping area where the attack is believed to have occurred.
“There are reports made by police about these camping tents that the town hall has ignored,” one source said.
After the victim was discovered, she was immediately taken to a medical centre for treatment. Officers are now awaiting DNA test results as part of the ongoing investigation.
The area where the alleged assault took place remains under police guard while forensic teams complete their work.
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The 2016 La Manada case saw five men convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman during Pamplona’s famous San Fermin festival.
The case caused public outrage after the men were initially convicted only of sexual abuse rather than rape, though this was later overturned on appeal with the perpetrators ultimately receiving 15-year prison sentences.
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