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.
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.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
Sticky Vicky’s daughter quits mum’s iconic Benidorm show

Adhesive the stage act has been sensationally abandoned by Vicky’s daughter, who has followed in her late mother’s footsteps, thereby leaving behind her family’s Benidorm legacy.
The unexpected decision was made after María Gadea Aragón assumed responsibility for the adult-themed magic performances following the passing of her mother, Victoria María Aragón Gadea, in 2023 at the age of 80.
María, who had been employing her mother’s stage identity in the well-known Spanish resort, has now discontinued her performances after a decade on stage.
María performed frequently at venues including the Palladium, Zodiaco, and Rockerfellers, as well as Benidorm which is a popular destination for British expatriates and vacationers.
Des Bellamy-Wright, an employee at the Benidorm Palladium, verified that María is no longer employed in the lively Spanish city. Des stated, “Sticky Vicky is no longer operational in Benidorm.” The ‘Carmen Snake – Sticky Show’ is a similarly entertaining program that is broadcast every night at 12:45 a.m. “
The official reason for Maria’s retirement was not disclosed, and her final performance was in November 2024.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
Elche’s H&M shop closing

The Swedish retail chain H&M announced in 2024 that it would be reducing the number of stores and employment it has in Spain due to “organisational, productive, and economic” reasons. Around 50 layoffs were the result of the closure of stores in the L’Aljub retail centres in Elche, Ociopía in Orihuela, and Habaneras in Torrevieja, which had consequences for the province of Alicante.
Additionally, these were the sole instances in the Valencian Community that were impacted. The Torrevieja store was the first to shut its doors in May 2024 since that time. The Orihuela store was subsequently closed on September 14th of the same year. Currently, the Elche store has shuttered its doors. The facility was closed to the public on March 14th, following its final day of operation on March 11th. It will be entirely shut down on March 22nd. Approximately 20 employees are being laid off at this Elche store. It is the final establishment in the province of Alicante that will not reopen, and the circumstances of the dismissal were negotiated in October. The employees have departed the company with an agreement as a result of these negotiations, according to Yolanda de la Casa, the general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation in Alicante.
The dismissal terms that were established following the October negotiations were 45 days until 2012 and 33 days until the present. A gratuity of 3,500 euros was granted for the first five years, 4,000 euros for the next ten years, and a maximum of 4,500 euros for the subsequent years.
Furthermore, three relocations have occurred among the 50 individuals who were laid off in the province, spanning Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja. Lely Fernández of UGT l’Alacantí-La Marina informed this newspaper that these were part-time employees from the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja who were transferred to the La Zenia shopping centre, which continues to operate and is accessible.
H&M initiated 2024 by announcing the closure of 28 stores and approximately 588 collective redundancies. The figure was reduced to 521 reductions in a subsequent revision.
The Torrevieja store closed its doors to the public on May 17th, 2024, and the lease expired on May 24th, never to be reopened. Nevertheless, numerous employees at this establishment were granted the opportunity to relocate to other nearby stores that were still operational. In September 2024, Ociopía followed suit, and Elche followed suit in March 2025.
The H&M group operates over 100 stores and employs nearly 4,000 individuals in the country. This decision was made by the Scandinavian company in order to “adapt and perfect” its stores in a “changing” shopping environment for its consumers. Additionally, Spain would be responsible for 17% of the brand’s global closures, as indicated by the data that the company disclosed months ago when it presented its 2023 financial year.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
Man stole fire extinguishers to sell as scrap metal

A 20-year-old male is currently under investigation by the Guardia Civil for the purported theft of ten fire extinguishers. The fire extinguishers were discovered by Seprona officers during an inspection of a scrap metal establishment in Torrevieja. The store manager and the criminal are both the subject of an investigation.
The fire extinguishers, which were in near-new condition and completely charged, were discovered by the Servicio de Protección a la Naturaleza (Seprona) officers during the inspection. The investigation was initiated due to the fact that this material is “uncommon” in this form of business, as explained by sources from the Armed Forces.
Upon discovering the fire extinguishers, the officers enquired about the scrapyard manager’s documentation regarding the extinguishers’ arrival. The manager responded that he did not possess any proof of ownership. Additionally, he disclosed that a woman and her son had abandoned them there without his permission.
The company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguishers was identified by Seprona officers after they analysed the evidence and proof acquired. This verified that the extinguishers were located in a building in Torrevieja. The missing equipment was reported by the property manager of this community of proprietors shortly thereafter.
Fire extinguishers were recovered
Officers were permitted to confiscate the fire extinguishers and transport them to the Torrevieja Civil Guard barracks as a result of the formal complaint. Upon verification of their origin, they were returned to their legitimate owners.
The individuals implicated have been identified as a result of the operation. The 20-year-old man who is supposed to have stolen the fire extinguishers is being investigated for theft, while the 23-year-old proprietor of the scrap yard is being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
The Guardia Civil emphasises the necessity of reporting these types of incidents and reminds all individuals of the significance of doing so. In order to prevent the acquisition of stolen material, scrap metal dealers must establish rigorous controls, such as document checks on sellers and items received.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Costa Blanca6 days ago
More than 1.5 million bottle caps are donated by Benidorm to the “Caps for a New Life” charity initiative
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
A couple from El Campello who were wanted for the nation’s biggest cocaine haul turn themselves in
-
Costa Blanca5 days ago
In Benidorm, a repeat abuser breaks into his ex-‘s home and assaults her
-
Costa Blanca4 days ago
The importance of bees is a topic that children in Alicante are being taught
-
Costa Blanca4 days ago
In 2024, the Emergency Department received over 250,000 calls from Alicante
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
Two men arrested after robbing an Alicante man, setting fire to his car and abandoning it in the mountains
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
A huge anabolic laboratory in Alicante is dismantled by the National Police
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
Following a robbery in Alicante, a gang that had stolen from homes in Spain, France, and Italy are arrested