Costa Blanca

More than 1,000 sexual attacks happened in Alicante last year

There have been over 1,000 sexual crimes in the province of Alicante in just one year. This is the first time since records began that this has happened. Assaults and abuse like these keep happening and are getting worse every year. In the last 15 years, they have doubled.

The latest information from the Ministry of the Interior shows that this crime adds to Alicante’s list of criminal cases, bringing the total to 1,008 cases. This is 5.1% more than the 959 cases that were recorded in 2023.

Because the number has gone up by almost 100% in just 15 years, the trend is very scary. Since 2010, when 506 cases were reported, it has steadily increased, with only a few ups and downs, until it reached its all-time high in 2024.

This rise has not been straight up. For example, from 2015 to 2020, the number of sexual crimes rose by 25%. From 2020 to 2024, it rose by 76%, showing that the rate of abuse is rising more quickly.

In Alicante, crimes against sexual freedom can be broken down into two main groups. As for sexual assaults with penetration, there have been 222 reports, which is a small rise of 0.5%. Also, the number of “other crimes against sexual freedom” has gone up by 6.5%.

Crimes by cities and towns

Not all parts of the province have the same number of crimes against sexual freedom. Some cities and towns have seen worrying rises, while others have been able to stop the flow.

Out of the 141 towns, Sant Joan d’Alacant has the most problems. From 5 cases in 2023 to 14 cases in 2024, there was a scary 180% rise.

Almoradí is next. There have been 14 sexual crimes there, up from 7 cases before. Calp (+91.7%), L’Alfàs del Pi (+75%), and San Vicente del Raspeig (+72%) are the others.

On the bright side, there are places that have stopped these wrongdoings. Villena has cut sexual crimes by 60%, Altea by 46.2%, and Benidorm by 23.4%. These are the three towns with the best figures.

How Alicante stands

In Alicante, there were 0.7% fewer crimes last year than the year before, which is a small drop in crime overall. Not all signs are good, though. While property crimes and online crimes have stayed the same, some violent crimes have risen alarmingly, especially murders, which have almost doubled in just one year.

One of the most disturbing facts is that the number of killings and wilful homicides has gone up from 11 in 2023 to 20 in 2024. After this 81.8% rise, there have been all kinds of crimes, from violence against women to settling old scores, like the murder of a Russian pilot by Russian spies.

But thefts in homes and businesses have gone down by 7.8%, and break-ins to homes have gone down by 9.2%. However, crimes involving violence and fear have gone up by 10.5%.

In the area of hacking, which already makes up a big part of the whole, there is some good news. The province is still pretty stable, and there have even been small drops in computer fraud (-1.9%), which is a small win after the recent trend that couldn’t be stopped.

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Costa Blanca

Moldovan mobster arrested in Torrevieja

A 37-year-old Moldovan male has been taken into custody by the Guardia Civil in accordance with an Italian European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Known as “thieves in law,” the detainee belonged to the Russian-Soviet criminal organisation VOR V ZAKONE, which was committed to committing significant crimes.

The arrest happened on February 28th in Torrevieja while Guardia Civil officers were performing a public safety duty. While on patrol, they spotted three people on a restaurant terrace and saw one of them attempting to hide after spotting them. The officers became suspicious of this behaviour and went on to identify him.

After doing technical examinations, the authorities concluded that the person’s Romanian passport, which was of excellent quality, was a fake. After being detained and brought to government facilities, his fingerprints were recognised, proving his identity.

On March 2th, 2022, the Verona Criminal Court sentenced the detainee to 11 years in prison for international criminal conspiracy offences of a mafia nature. The detainee was a member of the VOR V ZAKONE organisation, which was committed to committing crimes against people and property using mafia-style intimidation, threats, and violence.

The man had been hiding in Spain since the sentencing, using fictitious paperwork to evade discovery. To ascertain whether the fugitive has committed crimes in Spain, the Guardia Civil is still looking into the matter.

The detainee was taken to the Court of First Instance in Torrevieja, where he was ordered to be detained until his extradition to Italy.

The Guardia Civil underlines its commitment to combating international crime and deals another blow to organised crime with this operation.

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Alicante to Seville daily with new Ryanair schedule

During the summer of 2025, Ryanair will run daily flights between Alicante and Seville.

The company plans to connect the two cities on a daily basis from today, March 27th, until October 25th. This year, the connection is strengthened with a flight every weekday, in contrast to the 2024 summer season when the route ran six days a week (with double frequency on Sundays and no flights on Wednesdays). Additionally, Ryanair plans to launch eight weekly flights in April 2025, with the addition of a second daily frequency on Saturdays.

Reaching 125,581 passengers in 2024, the link with Seville, the capital of Andalusia and Spain’s fourth most populous city, saw stratospheric growth. Compared to 2023, when the route carried 58,361 people between the two cities, this number marked a 115% increase.

A potential increase of frequency on the Alicante-Elche and Seville route has not been ruled out, and Ryanair will soon release its 2025–2026 winter schedule. Given the ongoing increase in demand on this route, the Irish airline may be planning to improve connection, as it ran five weekly flights during the previous winter season.

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Benidorm could start fining illegal tourist properties by Easter

Since the formal transfer of authority is anticipated to take place next week, Benidorm may start immediately fining unlawful tourist accommodations as early as Easter. Marián Cano, the Regional Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, made this announcement as an indication of the advancements made in working with local councils to keep an eye on the tourism industry’s underground economy. The city councils of Alicante, Castellón, Elche, Torrevieja, and Benicarló are among the other municipalities that have stated their intention to take on this responsibility. This progress has already been formalised in Valencia, where the transfer of powers has been completed and all the procedures are prepared for approval next week in Benidorm.

In her response to a parliamentary question, the Nuciera councillor discussed the issue in Les Corts and stressed that the new tourism inspection plan “is not a continuation of the previous one, but rather an improvement that introduces more effective measures, strengthens institutional collaboration, and better responds to the needs of the sector.” She stressed cooperation with local governments in this regard in order to provide “more effective inspections and a swift response to irregularities.”