The Registry of Forensic Economists (Refor) of the General Council of Economists showed that bankruptcy proceedings for people and self-employed workers increased by 120% to 35,510 in 2024, while those for businesses increased by 23% to 5,589 in the same year.

The Economists point out in a note that of the 41,099 bankruptcies that occurred in 2024, 86% of them were of individuals or self-employed people, significantly more than those of businesses, which accounted for 14%.

According to the College of Economists’ analysis of last year’s data, 84% of bankruptcy proceedings involve no assets, indicating that the excessive debt is already unsustainable because there are no assets to face the bankruptcy and liquidation is required. This suggests that bankruptcy proceedings are being used when it is already too late.

Despite a 7% increase in procedures implementing restructuring plans in January of this year, this mechanism “has not yet taken off in our country” because, in 2024, there will be 334 restructuring plans, which is 2% fewer than the 341 in 2023.

When comparing Spain’s figures to those of other nations in our region, we find that bankruptcies have increased in nearly every instance: in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France, they have increased by 23.7%, 17.5%, 13.3%, and 7.29%, respectively, while in the UK, they have reduced by 5%.

Competitions’ development since before the epidemic

According to economists who have examined data on bankruptcies since 2019, prior to the coronavirus epidemic, company bankruptcies have increased by 38% and individual and self-employed worker bankruptcies by 1,300%, meaning that they have essentially multiplied by 14.

Refor suggests that the use of second chance procedures may be the cause of the little increase in bankruptcies.

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of micro-enterprise electronic processes tripled, from 463 to 1,380.

Several members of a Nigerian criminal organisation that threatens Spanish citizens with the publication of pornographic videos have been apprehended by the National Police during Operation Teknon.

In particular, victim complaints have been found in Valladolid, A Coruña, Gijón, Albacete, Alicante, Cáceres, and Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

According to the Canary Islands Police Headquarters, this group made phoney social media profiles featuring pictures of gorgeous women and then reached out to individuals, asking for intimate images and videos once they had gained some trust.

After claiming to have access to all of their contacts because they had previously taken the material from their social networks, they demanded payment in order to keep the files private and avoid being reported to the authorities for paedophilia (identifying themselves as minors).

Sextortion

In particular, victim complaints have been found in Valladolid, A Coruña, Gijón, Albacete, Alicante, Cáceres, and Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

The National Police noted that in certain instances, the victims paid to keep their private photos hidden.

When victims lacked the financial means to pay, they were compelled to work as mules for the organisation. They accept money from other victims and transfer it to the criminal organization’s wallets, thereby participating in the original crime and possibly committing another money laundering crime.

Lastly, using specialised applications for tracking cryptocurrency assets, the National Police’s Economic and Tax Crime Unit was able to identify the ultimate destination of the illicitly transferred funds, which were always wallets belonging to Nigerian nationals aged 20 to 35.

Numerous incidents that necessitated the involvement of emergency services have occurred in the province of Alicante yesterday. The initial incident happened in Elda’s Calle Padre Manón. A call regarding a worker falling from a scaffold was received by the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU) around 8.40 am. The 38-year-old victim was taken to Elda Hospital with multiple bruises after an ambulance from the Basic Life Service (SVB) was sent out almost away.

Twenty minutes later, at approximately nine in the morning, the CICU got another call, this time from Alicante’s Avenida Conde de Lumiares. A man, age 21, sustained bruising after being involved in a car-motorbike collision. After treating the victim at the scene of the accident, the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) medical team took him to Alicante General Hospital.

The hectic day ended at 2:00 pm when a new warning was issued on a hit-and-run incident on Avenida Joan Fuster in Dénia in which a motorbike had ran over a pedestrian. According to the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre, the motorbike rider and the pedestrian were both hurt in the double accident.

The 65-year-old woman who was driven over had a fracture and a head injury, while the 16-year-old biker sustained a head injury. Due to the severity of both situations, the victims have been sent to the Dénia Hospital and are being cared for by the SVB and SAMU.