In a combined operation by the Spanish National Police and French authorities, S. AB, an 18-year-old Algerian immigrant, was found and taken into custody on Tuesday 25th March in Alicante, in the Valencian Country, about two months after he fled France, where he was wanted for murder. A 25-year-old security guard at a popular nightclub in the city of Saint-Étienne took in the youngster, who had entered the country illegally. The individual who was arrested is being held by the police while they wait for him to be extradited to France, which may take up to a month.

After failing to get in touch with the victim for days, a relative went in search of him and discovered him dead inside his flat on February 9th. There were no indications that a knife or gun had been used. The autopsy’s forensic specialists determined that strangulation-induced cardiac arrest was the cause of death. Although the motive for the crime is still being investigated, investigators discovered evidence of drugs next to the body, which could indicate retaliation for a drug debt or another disagreement involving drug trafficking.

Searching for a “very dangerous” fugitive for a month

SAB was always the main suspect in this case; the victim’s family knew he had provided him with shelter in the days before her death, and they didn’t hear from him again. Officers from the Specialised Organised Crime Division tracked the suspect’s potential exit from the country after learning that he had departed Saint-Étienne in the hours immediately after the murder. Hundreds of bus and train station cameras were examined, yet SAB used covert means to enter Spain and continued to travel till he arrived in Alicante.

Two weeks after the crime, on February 22th, Interpol released a Red Notice, which is an arrest and surrender warrant that permits worldwide cooperation in the apprehension of dangerous criminals, along with the suspect’s information and photo. This information, along with other details regarding his potential movements throughout Spain, was gathered by the Spanish National Police’s Fugitives Squad. A few weeks later, police were able to track him down, and they conducted close surveillance in the Alicante region until March 25th, the day he was arrested.

There were no problems during the arrest process. The police are currently working to determine the motive behind the murder while his extradition is pending. At this point, it’s unknown if it was a personal conflict or anything related to drugs.

Phone medical care was promoted during the pandemic to conduct pre-screenings for coronavirus cases and provide information about the disease. It subsequently became established as a useful tool to expedite consultations that did not require in-person visits and to relieve congestion in overcrowded health centres. However, in recent weeks, some patients have encountered difficulties requesting a telephone appointment through the Ministry of Health’s app, GVA SALUT+, as this option is not available in some health centres, leaving only an in-person choice.

The regional government explains that this is because telephone consultations may experience “long delays” due to congestion, but denies that this option has been eliminated in any health area. In cases where telephone appointments are not available on the app, patients who wish to be seen by their primary care physician by phone must request it directly from the admission staff at their reference health centre, according to healthcare professionals consulted by this newspaper.

Medical sources explain that in some health centres, telephone appointments have been restricted to certain professionals due to their widespread use and the “frequent” lack of response from some patients when the doctor called. This situation especially affects people who study or work outside their city of origin and cannot attend their health centre in person.

Affected People

“I always made a telephone appointment with my doctor. For example, the other day I had a urinary tract infection, and although I was treated at another emergency room, I usually followed up with my doctor so she could prescribe more medication if necessary,” explains O.P., a patient who has been unable to access this option for at least three weeks.

A similar case is that of V.F., who lives outside his city and needed to process a medical leave after suffering a severe blow that landed him in the emergency room. “I had to go to my health centre in person for the appointment with my doctor,” he notes. Despite these testimonies, the Regional Ministry of Health insists that telephone consultations are still available at all health centres and attributes the incidents to “specific technical adjustments to the schedules.” Furthermore, they emphasise that they consider this resource “very valuable” and that they do not intend to eliminate it.

Differences between in-person and telephone appointments

Regarding the time difference between in-person and telephone appointments, a notable difference can be observed at some health centres in the province. At the San Blas health centre in Alicante, in-person appointments are available same day with several times to choose from, while telephone appointments are delayed by two weeks.

At the Plaza América health centre, also in Alicante, the telephone option with some professionals does not offer appointments, and at the I de Villena health centre, it is not even available. In Elche, at the Doctor Alberto García auxiliary office, appointments by phone are delayed by almost two weeks.

In-Person

It’s worth remembering that the Ministry of Health has prioritised in-person care over telephone calls in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón in the last month, as part of the new scheduling model implemented by the Directorate General of Primary Care. According to doctors consulted, the new schedules limited telephone consultations to a maximum of six per day, which has significantly reduced their availability.

As the weather improves, the time changes, and summer draws near, more people will be rescued from the most picturesque—yet most inaccessible—locations in the area. Every year, the tendency remains consistent. The first rescue occurred yesterday, Sunday 30th March, when there were already a lot of people visiting this region.

Two young individuals were caught by the rising tide in Cova Tallada, one of the most popular caves in the Marina Alta, and were rescued by local police from Xàbia and Dénia, as well as firefighters from the Provincial Fire Consortium and Civil Protection. It is situated on the border with Dénia, the town that is typically used to enter this cave, beneath the Montgó rocks.

Given how choppy the sea was, it was a dangerous situation. A visit to the cave isn’t precisely advised in those situations because it can turn into a death trap. The youngsters only sustained minor scrapes as a result of the successful procedure. The excellent coordination that went into the rescue has been commended by the police.