Andorra Police Probe Schoolgirl Brawl Near Bus Stop, 11-Year-Old Suffers Fractured Rib

Police in Andorra are investigating cross-complaints following a Monday afternoon brawl near the Prat del Roure bus stop in Escaldes-Engordany, where an 11-year-old girl from Arinsal sustained a fractured rib, bruises, and scratches. The incident has sparked conflicting accounts, with new details emerging about a related WhatsApp group targeting one of the minors and video footage captured by bystanders.

The altercation unfolded around 5:30 p.m. as the girl walked home alone from the local school in Escaldes. Delays to buses, caused by traffic disruptions from French co-prince Emmanuel Macron's visit, left her waiting at the stop. According to her family's complaint, filed Tuesday morning and supported by a medical report, another girl approached her and led her to a nearby rubbish container area. The encounter escalated when others joined, leading to physical blows. A passerby found the injured girl, provided aid, and alerted police, who responded, identified several participants, and launched initial inquiries.

Tensions reportedly stemmed from a WhatsApp group where sexual content and explicit comments circulated weeks earlier. The victim claims she tried multiple times to leave due to discomfort, prompting mockery, insults, and demands for a face-to-face meeting, which she initially declined. Families of the other youths filed a counter-complaint, describing a mutual fight between minors. They deny sexual material in the chat and assert the 11-year-old struck first after agreeing to meet one girl. Sources close to them also refute claims of adult involvement, specifically denying that an 18-year-old sister with martial arts training—initially alleged to have joined the fray—participated at all.

Police have confirmed the dual reports and are interviewing those involved while analyzing WhatsApp messages, including a new group named after a "plan against" one minor, formed by students from the Escaldes school. This group, now part of a complaint filed Thursday, aimed to confront the girl initially seen as the aggressor. The brawl's origins may also tie to a dispute over a boy among 11- and 12-year-olds. Recordings made by friends of one participant until the situation escalated have been handed to investigators, aiding efforts to clarify actions. All involved—mostly girls aged 12-18, with two boys and up to eight total—knew each other vaguely from extracurriculars. No adults took part, per police findings.

Officers continue reviewing digital evidence for threats or coordination amid the discrepancies. The girl returned to school Tuesday to see friends despite her pain. No charges have been filed as the probe prioritizes resolving the case involving multiple minors and addressing concerns over youth aggression fueled by social media.