A new incident at a medical facility in Aragon involved a patient with a long history of violence toward a physician at North Delicias Medical Center in Zaragoza. The health worker, acting promptly, contacted the National Police, who intervened and took the suspect into custody.
The individual went to the clinic last Wednesday to have a leg cast replaced. It was around 10:15 a.m. when a case of sexist violence escalated; the man, who had breached a restraining order by visiting his ex-wife, jumped from a window to avoid police, injuring himself in the process. He approached the clinic door and, shouting, demanded immediate medical attention.
Inside, the doctor urged him to stay calm and wait his turn. The patient responded with agitation, and according to a local report, he threatened the physician, saying, “If you don’t attend to me right now, I’ll break you.”
With the situation deteriorating, the doctor advised him to settle down and look after himself. The man then pressed hard on the physician’s chest. The violence persisted, prompting colleagues to assist. A rapid call to police was placed, and officers arrived swiftly. The suspect, a 29-year-old male described as Hispanic in the report, allegedly threatened the doctor, declaring that he would strike harder once released, and insulting the clinician as he waited for accountability.
A nurse present at the scene told investigators that the arrestee and an accompanying individual—both visibly agitated and shouting—entered the center with the apparent intention of seeing the doctor. They were directed to the waiting area, where the tense moment intensified as the man demonstrated aggression by pounding his own chest.
During a search conducted by the arresting officers, authorities recovered a small amount of cannabis. Regardless of the aggression, medical staff ensured continued care for others in the building, and an ambulance was dispatched to transfer the patient to Hospital Clínico Lozano Blesa in Zaragoza for further treatment. Subsequently, the man was placed in custody to await trial.
The presiding magistrate from Investigation Court No. 7 of Zaragoza ordered temporary release yet kept in place a restraining order preventing the individual from returning to the doctor’s location. The defendant chose to exercise his right to silence during questioning, on the guidance of his attorney, Olga Oseira.
In the broader context, data from 2021 show that there were 355 reported attacks on workers in community health centers, a figure that marks a 50% increase from 2020 and underscores ongoing concerns about safety for healthcare professionals.