Andorra Police Arrest Five Men in New Year's Eve Assault on Minor Tourist
Authorities in Andorra detained five men linked to the alleged rape of a minor tourist at a private residence, with video evidence reclassified as child pornography amid an ongoing probe.
Key Points
- Five men aged around 24 arrested in Pas de la Casa for group sexual assault on minor tourist on New Year's Eve.
- Initial evidence suggested consent; new proof led judge to charge two with rape and all with privacy crimes.
- Video footage by suspects deemed child pornography; phones seized for investigation.
- Separate rape arrest of 42-year-old man in Andorra la Vella from July case.
Police in Andorra arrested five men on Wednesday morning over an alleged group sexual assault on a minor tourist that occurred on New Year's Eve in Pas de la Casa. The detentions followed a judicial order from the Batllia as part of an investigation into crimes against sexual liberty and privacy.
The case began on 1 January when the victim, a tourist girl, reported the abuse at a private residence in Pas de la Casa and sought hospital treatment. Staff there triggered a purple code protocol, leading to immediate police involvement. Officers initially detained two suspects—a 23-year-old local from Pas de la Casa and a resident from Canillo—both accused of rape at the time.
Early investigation, including video footage recorded by one suspect, initially suggested consensual contact. The group had met at a nightclub, where the girl reportedly said she was older, and all appeared heavily intoxicated. The judge at first deemed the encounter consensual. The Canillo suspect was released without charges, while the Pas de la Casa man faced accusations only of recording without consent.
Fresh evidence prompted the judge to reverse course. Police re-arrested the pair—now both described as 24 years old—and detained three additional men of similar age. The original two face charges of rape, plus crimes against privacy for recording and disseminating the assault. The other three are accused of crimes against sexual liberty for receiving and sharing the images.
The victim's status as a minor means the footage qualifies as child pornography, with potential charges for production, possession, or distribution based on each man's involvement. The three newer suspects were released after interrogation, but police seized their phones for analysis. Investigators are still tracing whether the material spread beyond the group.
In a separate case this week, authorities in Andorra la Vella arrested a 42-year-old man accused of rape in a private home last July, also after a hospital purple code activation. No further updates are available on either probe.
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- Diari d'Andorra•
Presó per a dos acusats de violació després de ser alliberats al gener
- Bon Dia•
Detinguts els autors de la violació d'una menor al gener al Pas i arrestats tres joves més sospitosos d’haver compartit les imatges de l’agressió sexual
- Altaveu•
Empresonats els dos principals implicats en la violació grupal gravada la nit de Cap d'Any al Pas
- El Periòdic•
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- Diari d'Andorra•
Empresonats dos joves per la violació grupal a una menor al gener al Pas i per gravar imatges íntimes
- Altaveu•
Cinc detinguts per la violació grupal gravada de Cap d'Any al Pas de la Casa