The National Police have detailed a grim case from Manacor, Mallorca, where a disabled man is said to have been subjected to torture by a group of teenagers. The investigation suggests the victim may have been coerced into participating in a so‑called contest, with promises of monetary rewards and social recognition. Investigators report that the accused were told the man suffered no intellectual limitations, and they were led to believe they could gain a substantial prize by carrying out severe punishments. The scenario has raised questions about consent, manipulation, and the dynamics of abuse among youths in the community. Ongoing inquiries involve seven young people tied to the incident [Diario de Mallorca].
Officials from the case have forwarded a formal note to the Manacor investigating court, a document cited by Diario de Mallorca, a local outlet connected to the same media group. The note describes a large quantity of digital evidence recovered from cell phones belonging to the suspects. Among the material are multiple WhatsApp groups created by the claimant, messages about a cruel contest, and numerous videos recorded over the weekend when the events allegedly occurred in March 2021. The volume of information is substantial, reportedly reaching 152 gigabytes [Diario de Mallorca].
One critical element highlighted by the police is that the complainant reportedly never disclosed to the defendants that he was mentally handicapped. There is no record of the suspects acknowledging this detail in their statements. The narrative presented by authorities indicates the victim purportedly offered himself as a participant in exchange for services or rewards, and he was the one who proposed harsher, more humiliating punishments as part of the ordeal. The implication is that the victim manipulated or provoked the actions that followed, according to the police files [Diario de Mallorca].
According to the investigation, the supposed contest included a sequence of tests and punishments designed to alter the victim’s image, with promises of money for those who completed the requested tasks. Police notes also indicate that the victim introduced additional terms or conditions, boosting the perceived stakes of the supposed competition. The accounts describe a situation in which the participants were led to believe they could accumulate points and earn as much as 25,000 euros per person, a figure used to motivate the youths involved. In some documentation, the victim was described as having even supplied a name and a National Identity Document that later proved to be false, with the true identity belonging to a relative who was unaware of the events. The authorities emphasize that the alleged intention was not to reward the participants, and there were indications that the money offer was not genuine from the outset [Diario de Mallorca].
After the alleged events, the victim sought medical treatment for injuries sustained during the torture. He subsequently filed a formal complaint, and seven youths connected to the incident were detained by the police. The case continues to unfold as investigators work to establish the sequence of actions, the roles played by each participant, and the extent to which the victim’s statements influenced the course of events. The details released so far underscore the complexity of abuse cases that involve manipulated expectations, coercive dynamics, and the vulnerability of individuals with disabilities in social settings. The ongoing proceedings will likely explore the boundaries between coercion, consent, and the criminal acts attributed to those involved [Diario de Mallorca].