According to the High Court of Justice, a woman suspected of forging currency has been summoned to trial by Section XI of the Provincial Court, located in Elche, this Thursday, 3rd April. She is seeking an eleven-year prison sentence for the offence.

The public prosecutor’s summary of events states that a bank filed the complaint against the woman in 2020 after it was found that workers had detected the deposit of counterfeit banknotes totalling €500 into multiple ATMs of a company from a bank account. Businesses that handle a lot of cash frequently deposit huge sums of money through ATMs, particularly on weekends.

A woman was recognised as a suspect after the National Police launched an inquiry. The investigation found that she established a shell company. She was able to open a checking account with the bank using the company’s details. After that, the woman took money out of certain ATMs and deposited money at others. The bills she got were clearly authentic, whereas the deposits were fake. The case filing doesn’t explain where these bills came from.

There have been complaints in several areas of Elche due to the new hotspot of caravan and motorhome spread, which is illegal in the municipality. Events like Easter Monday and the Casa de Andalucía April Fair are conducted on certain days, however the Elche Local Police deny that there is a settlement in the El Pantano de Elche area. This week, a large congregation of these vehicles was found in the region, which is situated in a protected natural environment, even though officials do not recognise the formation of the location as a repeating destination for this type of overnight stay. There were occasionally as many as thirty of these trucks in the vicinity.

In the city, this phenomenon is not new. The presence of these kinds of cars has prompted the authorities to evacuate tourist settlements, primarily Europeans, in various locations, such as Cape Santa Pola, close to Arenales del Sol, the beaches of El Pinet and La Marina, or even in urban parking lots like the one on Avenida de Santa Pola.

Tourists from Denmark and France in the region

The majority of the caravans found in the El Pantano de Elche Recreation Area are Dutch, however some visitors are French.

Locals who walk there often report that the tourists are courteous and aware of their environment. Although there are no obvious signs of rubbish or filth in the region, it is always unclear where their personal rubbish goes.

In addition to keeping them company, some young ladies who frequent the area on a daily basis emphasise that the presence of these tourists gives them a sense of security because they are respectful and typically travel with their families, occasionally bringing kids or pets.

Inadequity of space for this kind of tourism

Tourists arrive at the spot directed by caravan tourism apps and user recommendations, despite the police’s insistence that this is not a regular settlement. The pleasant weather and the natural beauty of the area around the reservoir draw them in.

This week, there were instances when over thirty cars were parked, and some visitors stayed overnight and even ordered food delivery from services like Glovo. There’s also breakfast.

There isn’t enough parking in Spain as a result of the rise in RV and camper travel. The majority of these services are private and run by businesses that supply energy resources and bathrooms; camping and overnight stays outside of approved places are forbidden in Elche.

However, locals in La Marina and other parts of Elche have voiced their unhappiness, claiming that because tourists do not spend money at local eateries or businesses, this kind of tourism has no effect on the local economy.

A 60-year-old man in Elche has been arrested by the National Police for two separate sexual assaults in the last two weeks. The man was pretending to be a photographer for a report, but a 25-year-old woman there claimed that he intended to capture naked pictures of her, which would lead to sexual assault with penetration without her consent.

Officers found out after his detention that he had been detained two weeks prior for similar charges. He had even received a restraining order and been prohibited from leaving the country for assaulting a disabled woman again.

He persuaded her to shoot naked pictures

The complaint claims that the woman asked the photographer to do a photo session. He convinced her to sign a document giving him permission to take naked pictures of her at the signing ceremony. The suspect claimed it was because of her height that it was hard for her to be a model and that it was better to photograph her naked.

The man touched various body parts on the model while she posed for shots, he even took images of her intimate areas. He then pulled down his pants and stabbed her with his fingers.

The woman made it plain she wasn’t going to strip when she went on a second shoot. The complaint claims that the man attempted to reenact the first date scene, but she fled right away and came back with a friend worried he could have a recording camera in the studio. She requested that he remove any pictures he may have of her during that stay.

Arrested two weeks earlier

The woman went to the police station with a lawyer and filed a handwritten complaint. Officers then learnt that the man had previously been taken into custody for assaulting a disabled young woman in his studio, even attempting penetration.

Police detained the man at the studio as a result of both instances, and they also confiscated mobile phones, laptops, tablets, desktops, and other gadgets. The 60-year-old guy was charged with sexual assault and brought before a judge.