On Tuesday, April 11, five young men were detained by the Mossos d’Esquadra in connection with a serious sexual assault case that occurred four months earlier, on December 26, 2022, in the Rubí area of the Western Valleys. The victim, a woman, filed a formal complaint shortly after the incident. The case is being handled by the Unitat Central d’Agressions Sexuals (UCAS), a unit within the Catalan police focused on sexual assaults.
According to sources cited by El Periódico de Catalunya, part of the Prensa Ibérica group, the victim is female and there are indications that the assault involved sexual contact, possibly including penetration. This level of seriousness has led investigators to focus on the five suspects, all of whom are being looked at for rape charges.
The investigation began with the victim’s testimony, which prompted UCAS officers to pursue the suspects within the community where the crime occurred. In the following months, authorities collected additional evidence that corroborated the victim’s account and ultimately led to the arrests. The case was then brought before the Rubí court for judicial processing.
Key elements in the case include digital evidence such as WhatsApp conversations and data from the victim and from phones connected to the investigation. This material helped identify the individuals involved. Reports indicate that some of these exchanges suggested awareness of the assault by the accused.
The five suspects are Moroccan nationals, aged 20, 24, 26, 26, and 27. They reside with their families in Terrassa. The detention order states there were reasonable grounds to believe that a sexual assault occurred, leading to the charges under judicial review.
According to the detention order, the victim was forcibly taken to the premises of an old industrial unit where the assault took place. Investigators later recovered cigarette butts and used condoms at the scene. Throughout the investigation, the victim’s account remained consistent and appeared corroborated by various external and objective factors. A friend of the victim described the distress she experienced following the incident, adding to the body of corroborating testimony.