A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in prison for arranging the sale of a mobile phone on the Wallapop platform, which specialises in secondhand product transactions and misappropriating the funds without returning the item.

The penalty, imposed by a court of the Third Section of the Provincial Court of Alicante, states that the man listed the phone for sale for 450 euros and misled the individual who expressed interest in purchasing it into believing that he would ship it to them.

In reality, he provided images and the device’s IMEI number, confirming the purchase. The defendant deposited the agreed-upon amount of €450 into his bank account. However, the defendant’s desire for illicit enrichment led him to confiscate the money before the buyer even received the phone.

The wounded party demanded a reimbursement, which the defendant told him would be granted. In fact, according to the verdict, he deposited a cheque that bounced, incurring additional costs of €20.85 for the aggrieved party.

At the start of the hearing, the defendant admitted the facts and reached an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office and the private prosecution, represented by the injured party, accepting a one-year prison sentence, a six-month fine of 3 euros per day, and the obligation to reimburse the complainant for 470.85 euros in economic damages.

The defendant had already received two previous convictions for fraud. In 2016, he was sentenced to nine months in jail, then a year later, he was sentenced to another 14 months and nine days.

A lightning bolt struck a catamaran anchored in Cabo de la Huerta in Alicante’s Sidi region, scaring the four British tourists onboard.

The ship was outfitted with a lightning rod on its mast, and all four crew members were uninjured. Maritime Rescue aided the crew and took them and the ship to Alicante port yesterday afternoon, Wednesday May 14th.

The lightning hit had an impact on the vessel’s electronic equipment, which was 14 metres long and eight metres wide. When the navigation systems failed, a distress call was received. The Salvamento Marítimo vessel Salvamar Leo set off from its base in Alicante around 5:00 p.m. to tow the catamaran.

The ship was anchored at Cabo de la Huerta, and because the electrical system could not be used to raise the anchor, they had to do so manually.

The Maritime Rescue personnel assisted the catamaran’s occupants and then pulled the yacht at a leisurely speed to the Alicante marina, where it docked this afternoon.

A resident of Playa de San Juan said that the boat had been anchored near Cabo de la Huerta for several days, while another recalled hearing a tremendous thunderclap around three p.m.

The National Police have arrested a 38-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman in Elche (Alicante) on suspicion of committing a serious injury crime after discovering evidence that their daughter, a minor under the age of three, had undergone genital surgery that resulted in irreversible injuries.

The matter was brought to the attention of the National Police in Elche after a request from the Court of First Instance and the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office, as well as a report written by professionals at the city’s health centre.

According to the report, during a normal medical check of the three-year-old girl, scarring physical indicators were discovered that may match to a traditional technique known as female genital mutilation, which is still practised in several African countries.

The educational and healthcare personnel conducted the evaluation as part of routine medical procedures, without any prior suspicions. The minor arrived in Spain in May 2024 and was legally residing with her parents.

The National Police investigation revealed that during the minor’s care and interviews with the parents, the father admitted that the intervention on the child occurred within the framework of a cultural belief but did not provide specific details about the time or location of the intervention.

However, every piece of evidence gathered by police officials suggested that the act occurred outside of Spain. The inquiry also helped investigators identify the offenders, allowing them to locate and arrest the couple in Elche. The two arrested are being probed for a crime involving serious bodily harm. Both appeared before the Elche Duty Investigative Court.

The National Police warn everyone that any act that violates the physical or moral integrity of minors is a serious breach of Spanish law, regardless of the culprits’ cultural or personal backgrounds.

Child protection is ensured by national legislation and international treaties that Spain has signed. Respect for cultural and religious traditions must always be tempered by adherence to Human Rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of 1948.

States have a commitment to protect the well-being, safety, and dignity of all minors, without exception.