Parents Arrested in Abuse Scandal
The parents of four girls who claim they were subjected to constant sexual and physical abuse, the eldest over a 15 year period, have been arrested in Ibiza. The father was the first to be detained at the caravan where they all lived in San Jose, after the eldest daughter made an official denuncia at the local police station. She told specially trained officers the precise details of the abuse, information which was not released due to its sensitive nature. However, investigating officers did confirm the father has been accused of having sexual intercourse with at least two of the girls.
His arrest on Sunday was followed by the detention of the mother of the children on Tuesday, accused of participating in the acts and remaining silent about the suffering of her children. The couple have five children in total, four girls (two of whom are still minors) and a son, who is currently living in Mallorca.
It appears the father became involved with some kind of religious sect when the family were first living on the island 20 years ago. At this time they had just two young daughters. Duped by the leaders of this group, the father sold his house and gave them the proceeds of the sale. The family then followed the sect, first to Palma and then on to Peru, where they lived for several years. They then returned to Ibiza, and started renting an apartment in the capital. This is when a man called Pierre first moved in with the family, and the abuse began.
His identification was described as "P" in the witness statement, and officers later confirmed he was a Frenchman, called Pierre, who had lived with the family for six years whilst they were residing in the capital. The allegations against the man were confirmed by the children's mother, who said she had been powerless to stop the abuse, and that both men had convinced all of the family that these were normal things that went on, and was merely a sign of affection between family members. Asked if she realised what her husband was doing was wrong, the woman replied that she did, but when pressed further, first became vague and then kept silent.
It was later revealed the woman had been a substitute teacher on several occasions at various different elementary schools on the island but was eventually taken off the teachers´ register for missing classes and poor personal hygiene.
Police confirmed they had very little information about the suspect named Pierre, and initial enquiries hinted he could even have died. However, officers said the investigation would continue until the exact whereabouts of the man was discovered.
The father said little during his initial court appearance. When asked whether he ever hit his children, he said that was the way things were done in his house. However, when questioned about the sexual abuse of his children, he remained quiet, only saying he could not remember very well and was often drunk. He claimed he had learnt everything about bringing up a family from his father, the grandfather of the four victims.
The mother was also sent to prison while investigations continued, and a trial date could be set.
The two youngest daughters (both under 18 years of age) were being looked after by social workers, and all of them, including the son who was flown in from Mallorca, were under psychiatric treatment and described as being mentally fragile.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Gran Opening
The fourth 5-star hotel on the island is due to open next week, as after months of delays, the Ibiza Gran Hotel finally welcomes its first visitors. The hotel, ideally located close to the centre and opposite Pacha, was due to be completed last year, but after a series of problems, the opening had to be re-scheduled several times. However, it appears the establishment is at last ready and according to the general manager, Raul Sierra, should be open this weekend.
The 5-star property will join the hotels, Hacienda Na Xamena, Fenicia, and Mirador de Dalt Vila, as the only 5-star establishments on the island. The Ibiza Gran Hotel will offer a total of 157 suites, spa and casino to their guests who will be pampered by a total of 150 staff - suitable luxury for the venture which finally cost over ?60 million.

Tax Rebate
According to a recent report by the Barcelona-based lawyers Costa, Alvarez, Manglano & Associates around 4,500 Britons could be able to reclaim up to ?70 million in overcharged capital gains tax from the Spanish Government. The rebate will affect anyone who sold a property in Spain between March 2004 and December 2006.
The company claims that British and other EU non residents paid the inflated Spanish Non Residents' Income Tax rate of 35% on any capital gains, compared to the normal rate of 15% paid by Spanish nationals. This difference contravenes European Community Treaty rules on discrimination and therefore was unduly charged by the Spanish Government. The amount is thought to be in the region of ?11,000 per person, plus the relevant interest.
Unfortunately those who sold a property before 2004 have already missed out, as claims can only be made for tax dating back four years.
The Spanish lawyers are calling for British people to come forward and register their details to be part of what could be the biggest class action against the Spanish tax authorities for many years.
Those who sold a property after 2007 will not be affected as any capital gains due was reduced to 15% for all sellers whether resident or non-resident.
To make a claim you must meet the following criteria:
You sold a Spanish property between May 2004 and December 31st 2006.
You were NOT a fiscal resident in Spain when you sold it.
You paid the Capital Gain Tax to the Spanish Authorities.
You sold your Spanish property as an individual; not as a company.
You have, or can obtain, a copy of the Spanish Tax Form "Modelo 212" that you completed when you sold the property.
For more information, and details of how to register your interest, visit spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk or call the helpline on 0845 6803 849 or email:info@spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk

Speed Controls
From this week the speed radar on the San Antonio-Ibiza road will begin to operate as the Interior Minister for the Balearics, Ramon Socias, called for a crackdown on those breaking the speed limit on all four islands. His department spent a total of ?955,960 last year installing six fixed radars across the region, four in Mallorca, one in Menorca and one in Ibiza. He added that he wanted people to feel "watched" and cut down their speed, and urged the authorities to take the necessary action to curb the rising number of road deaths.
His comments came as it was revealed a total of 20 people had so far been killed in the Balearics in traffic accidents, nine of whom were under 30 years of age. This bucks the national trend, which saw deaths fall during the first three months of the year.

Award Accepted
The minister for tourism, Pepa Mari, was in Barcelona last week to receive an award for the continued efforts of the Consell in promoting "gay" tourism to the island. The "gold medal" was presented to the minister as the Consell participated in the "pink corner" at the International Tourism Fair of Catalonia, which opened its doors last week. The special section of the fair devoted purely to gay tourism within Europe is the largest such event in the world, with over 50 companies and entities in the sector participating.
As well as Ibiza, visitors to the fair were also be able to consult magazines and tourism portals from cities such as Barcelona, Copenhagen, The Basque region and Canaries There will also be a space devoted to Eurogames, the sporting event for homosexuals to be held in Barcelona between July 24 and 27.

School Registration
Those parents with children aged three who are due to join the educative system next September will be able to select their elementary school from 28th April. Parents will have just over two weeks (the initial selection process closes on 13th May) to present their request.
They are able to choose a total of five schools but will only be able to make one first choice. The request has then to be handed to the preferred college of choice, who will then make the decision.
The results will be based on a points system which rewards those with brothers and sisters already in the pre-school with 14 points. Those within close proximity will receive 5.5 points, with points also given to those from large families, with a chronic illness or some type of disability. The school will then post the provisional lists on 30th May, after which those parents who are not in agreement are able to make objections. The final lists will then be displayed on 16th June, after which time the parents have two days to officially process the registration, or face losing the place.

Hotel Negotiations
Negotiations began this week between the Unions and the representatives of the hotel industry into working conditions over the next two years. An agreement was reached three years ago without too much conflict which saw a 4.5 per cent annual rise in salaries. However, one of the union delegates revealed they would be asking for increases of around 7 per cent this year, to combat the rising cost of living, especially in Ibiza. He said they would not rule out strike action, but hoped a consensus could be reached before such drastic measures were necessary.

Govern Response
The health minister at the Govern Balear, Vicent Torres, said he had been surprised at the precipitated attitude of the unions and their calls for a strike. He revealed their attitude was even more surprising considering formal talks were yet to begin between the two groups. However, he held out an olive branch and said his department was prepared to sit down for "whatever time necessary" to iron out the current conflicts.
He added that his party was prepared to offer wage increases, but that these rises would have to be linked with performance. He claimed this was the fairest way and would ensure staff remained motivated. He also said help would be given to the families of doctors moving to the island, to ensure that Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera remained attractive places to work and would continue to be able to compete for the very best medical professionals.
The news came as the general manager of Can Misses, Francisco Carceles, insisted the current reforms taking place at the hospital would be finished by July. The work has suffered from a number of delays and was, at first, supposed to be ready by Christmas 2007. However, he said that although there had been complications, the refurbishment would be ready within two months.
The first part of the project, which included the building of two new operating rooms, was completed two weeks ago and both are now in use. This will take the total of operating rooms to six, although the four older ones will be closed, two by two, for several months while a new air-conditioning unit is installed. Carceles also denied the claims made last week by the chief anaesthetist, Jesus Preciado, that the new facilities were far too small for many operations. He recognised the new rooms were smaller, but said that would not affect any of the operations currently carried out at the hospital.
He finished by revealing that the building work would also add 32 new beds to the hospital, which would be needed due to the increased number of operations which could now take place in Can Misses.

Language Help
Various medical centres across the island are set to install a translation system within their consultancies, to enable foreign patients and doctors to understand each other far better. The technique will involve both parties wearing a set of headphones equipped with a microphone, which will be connected to a third person, expert in the language chosen.
It is hoped the new system will ensure better treatment for both non-Spanish speaking residents, and tourists. A six-month trial was set up in Mallorca which proved a great success, and prompted the Govern Balear to bring the system to five centres in Ibiza and Formentera. There will be one in the new hospital in Formentera, one in Can Misses and three others in as yet unnamed medical centres.
There are a total of 32 languages available, although the most popular so far have been English, German and Arabic.

IBIZA TOWN

Huge Investment
The new Land Use Plan for Ibiza Town, which has been in the making for just over six years, will see investment in the capital of around ?277 million over the next eight years. The Councillor overseeing the project, Vicent Torres, claims the plan is vital in order to turn the capital into a modern 21st Century city. The money for the venture will come from various sources, including the Govern Balear (?45.2 million) and the Consell Insular (?25.2 million). The Town Hall will also plough in finance to the tune of ?98 million over a 12 year period, an amount Torres ensures is viable despite recent criticism from the opposition that such an amount is likely to bankrupt the administration.
The rest of the money will be put up by the Government, with many of the projects already having been given the green light. One such venture is the re-designing of the main road on the outskirts of the capital (close to the cinemas) which will be transformed into an "avenue". This will mean pavements and a bicycle lane being installed, as the road becomes more integrated into the centre of the town. This project alone is set to cost the Town Hall an estimated ?15.8 million.
Twelve car parks are also set to be built around the capital, with a combined surface area of over 54,000 m2 and a cost of ?24 million. This will create 8,198 more spaces within walking distance of the city centre. These projects will prove even more indispensable, as the plan will eliminate several already existing car-parks currently in the centre of town. The biggest will be built at the entrance to Figueretes, close to McDonalds, and will have space for 1,000 vehicles.
Eight other general projects, including the construction of a park in Can Escandell, will cost a further ?44.1 million.
The plan, which was first designed by former mayor and now President of the Consell, Xico Tarres, has been dormant for the last two years, as it awaits approval from the Consell Insular. However, with Tarres now in charge there, the rubber stamp is only months away and it is hoped the plan can be started by early next year.

Taxi Moves
The Town Hall in Ibiza revealed last week it had not ruled out the possibility of granting an additional 51 temporary taxi licences across the borough. The initial proposal by the transport minister at the Consell, Albert Prats, ended with a two week strike as the current licence owners claimed they should have the right to all of the 151 licences on offer. This view was opposed by Prats, who called it undemocratic and said half of the permits should be given to drivers. The strike was only called off after members of the Taxi Association agreed no one would take up the offer of the permits.
However, a spokesman for the Town Hall revealed none of the 89 requests for licences which they initially received had been withdrawn. He added they would be continuing with the process and had not ruled out the possibility of granting even more licences, if other boroughs failed to fill their quota.
In theory 26 licences are to be granted to licence owners and 25 to drivers. Each permit will be temporary, and ensure another vehicle is on the road for two months during the busiest time of the year.

SAN ANTONIO

First Year Success
The CCTV cameras in operation within the centre of San Antonio were described as a complete success after their first full year in operation. Councillor Jose Ramon Serra said the 13 cameras dotted around the most conflictive points of the West End had ensured far more control in the area, and they had also been crucial in helping identify the culprits of several crimes. The most serious was the rape of a tourist in the area, which was caught on camera, and enabled police to arrest several suspects. However, no specific details were released about the case due to the sensitive nature and ongoing investigation.
Serra revealed officers were not actually watching live CCTV coverage, and footage was only used to aid the investigation of certain incidents. He said the cameras were constantly recording and tapes stored for one month. If after this period no officers had reported a crime and asked for access to the footage, the recordings were destroyed.

Legislation Change
The Town Hall of San Antonio announced on Friday it would be modifying its legislation on opening hours. The new law will ban discos and bars with a capacity for more then 500 people from opening before 4.30p.m. This brings the borough into line with the rest of the island, and is a compromise which seemed to please all of the other boroughs.
The Councillor, Jose Ramon Serra, said the new regulation would only impact on those it had originally been intended to affect, and that the normal pubs would be able to open, like every year, at 12p.m. He said this had always been their idea, and they had originally suggested a link between opening hours and capacity size, at the original mayors meeting last year when the problem was first discussed.
The Town Hall received criticism from the other boroughs last week after they refused to sign the legislation change which would have brought them into line with the rest of the island. However, it appears a compromise has been reached which everyone seems happy with.

SAN JOSE

Sunbed Prices
The Town Hall of San Jose is in talks with the owners of the sunbed franchises in ses Salinas and es Cavallet, to try and put an end to the abusive prices prevalent on the two popular beaches. The right to sell sunbeds and parasols on all of the beaches within the borough comes up for auction every four years. The beaches are due to come "under the hammer" today (Weds.23rd April). However, the sealed bids are only part of the process and the points system used to adjudicate the winners heavily favours those with businesses in the area, and those who have previously run the concession.
This points system ensures the owners of the land in ses Salinas - Ibifor - are guaranteed to win the permit on both beaches. The company then sells the rights to rent the sunbeds to the local restaurants at highly excessive prices. This process of re-selling also ensures these particular concessions do not have to stick to the maximum price set out by the Town Hall. For the next two years this cap is set to be ?6. However, it is not uncommon for beds on these particular beaches to reach between ?15 and ?20, as the area tries to maintain a degree of exclusivity. The Town Hall also wants to ban the reservation of beds, a very popular tactic in the area.
The Councillor in charge of this department, Maria Angeles Mostazo, claimed she was trying to come to an amicable solution with the company. However, she warned she had the right to omit Ibifor from the concession process, an option which she would not rule out if a compromise could not be reached. She added the beaches were public property, and everyone had the right to use a sunbed at a reasonable price.
Four years ago Ibifor paid around ?24,000 per concession, which they then sold on for up to ?75,000 to the local restaurants in the area. The only way for these establishments to then recoup their money was to charge extortionate prices. Mostazo said she would insist Ibifor sold the concession for a figure far closer to that which they had initially paid for the concession, ensuring the restaurants were able to rent the sunbeds at a far more realistic price.

SANTA EULALIA

Property Drop
The property price per square metre has fallen in the borough for the first time in several years. During the first three months of the year the price fell ?272 and now averages ?2,854 per m2. The fall came on the back of a report which confirmed a slowdown in the housing market. Several leading estate agents confirmed it now took just over six months to sell a property within Santa Eulalia.
The news came as the president of Quantity Surveyors on the island, Vicent Serra, said the slowdown had been predicted and would really take affect this year. He said it was normal after several years of increased activity that construction would eventually ease off. He also reported that whilst the building of apartment blocks had slowed during 2007, there had been a 29 percent increase in the number of villas built on the island.

FORMENTERA

Ferrer Pushes for More
The president of the Consell, Jaume Ferrer, claimed last week the original proposal for the distribution of money within the Balearics was wholly unfair on the regions smallest island. In total the Balearics is to receive around ?2,800 million from Central Government over the next seven years, which is to be shared by the four islands. Initially it is the ministry for the economy who will decide how this money is to be split, however in a first round draft Formentera was set to receive just ?5 million of the total amount.
Ferrer claimed this was unfair and Formentera should be treated like any other island, despite its lower population, taking a quarter part of the subsidy. He said he would be going to the Government, hand in hand with his counterpart in Ibiza, Xico Tarres, who the previous week said too much money was being kept by Mallorca. However Ferrer was quick to point out the two issues were very separate, and it was now the turn of the island to fight its own battles.
He added there were a number of projects he wished to carry out over the next few years including road improvements, especially to the main road which crosses through Formentera.
Although an even split, which would leave Ferrer with ?90 million, is certainly both unattainable and unrealistic, it is clear the island has now grown in stature and can no longer live off the scraps provided by the larger islands.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

San An Stabbing
A 21-year old local youth was seriously injured in the centre of San Antonio after being stabbed in the stomach during an argument in the early hours of Sunday morning. The incident, which occurred at around 6am, began after an argument started between a group of Spanish men visiting the island and the victim. As punches were thrown, one of the group produced a knife and stabbed the victim in the abdomen. An ambulance was immediately called as the injured lay bleeding in the street. However whilst the youth was being attended, at the scene, he became very aggressive and bit one of the paramedics on the finger. He was subsequently rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. Staff later revealed the victim was progressing well and was not in any immediate danger.

Ships Collide
Just metres away from where the sunken Don Pedro lies off the south-easterly coast of the island, two vessels arriving from Denia collided early on Friday morning. Both captains are, at the moment, giving two very different accounts of what actually happened, however what is known is that just after 12.45a.m. the two vessels which had left Denia half an hour apart collided causing moderate damage to both vessels.
The ferry run by Balearia, "Manuel Azana", was carrying 183 passengers at the time, 159 destined for Ibiza and the rest on a stopover before sailing on to Palma. The other vessel, "Carmen del Mar", was carrying only cargo and is run by Iscomar, owners of the sunken Don Pedro.
Both vessels were ordered to stay in port after the accident, although the Balearia owned ship was allowed to sail to Barcelona later in the morning with only cargo aboard.
The collision between the stern of one of the vessels and the bow of the other caused only minor damage, and there were no injuries to any of the passengers or crew aboard either ship. However, the differing stories of each captain led investigators to launch an enquiry into exactly who was to blame. This will be made slightly easier by the use of the black box each was carrying, and the satellite tracking device on both of the ships. Spokesmen for both companies said it was a minor collision caused by the misjudgement of the other, but both said the investigation would reveal all and preferred not to say anymore.

Defendants Sentenced
Three of the defendants accused of the "Hipercentre" robbery carried out in July 2004 have been sent to prison. The robbery took place at 11.30p.m. on Saturday 31st July as the money was being counted in a back office of the supermarket on the San Antonio-Ibiza road. The three men who entered the premises were helped by a cashier working at the supermarket at the time, who had given them all the information about exactly where the money would be located, and the best day to carry out the robbery. The four were joined in the dock by two other members of the gang, who were accused of driving the getaway vehicle.
In the end only three of the six accused were found guilty, with the judge claming there was not enough evidence to convict the other three. However, two of the three men who entered the supermarket were given prison sentences of three and a half years in jail, whilst their accomplice on the "inside", the cashier, was sentenced to a jail-term of one year and nine months.
The gang eventually stole a total of ?102,275 from the supermarket.

Cartel Arrested
Following a six-month investigation a drug cartel working out of Madrid has been uncovered by police. Four arrests have so far been made, with officers promising more in the next few days. Three Colombians and a Spanish national were all sent to jail as police raided two laboratories in the capital. Twenty-five kilos of cocaine, with a street value of around ?1.7 million, was discovered, as well as ?1.1 million in cash and seven luxury cars.
The majority of the smuggling was done in used car tyres, with the money gained from the sale of the drug being transported out using the same method. The special police department concerned with drugs and based in Ibiza, (GRECO), was at the centre of the investigation, and claimed the island was the principal destination for most of the drugs.
The arrests followed the detention of five men on the island in a separate police operation, codenamed "Giralda". The arrests of four Spanish people and one Brit took place after raids at several properties in San Jose and San Antonio. In the apartments, police found a total of 582 grams of hashish, 420 doses of cocaine, as well as ?5,700 in cash, three plasma televisions and an airgun. Two of the men were immediately released without charge, whilst the remaining three were bailed.

By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here - you are quite safe!!

If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Royal Call for Unity
The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, officially opened Parliament on Wednesday with a plea to all parties to work together in dealing with the major "policies of state". The monarch urged Parliament to work with "tenacity" towards a consensus in the two main issues currently occupying the minds of the population - terrorism and the economy. He said ETA had once again shown its callous and heartless side by striking during the election campaign, and said only a united front by all of the democratic parties would see this common enemy defeated.
He also called for consensus on the troubled economy, which has seen a sharp downturn in the last few months, after once being the envy of Europe.
Accompanied by his wife, Queen Sofia, and the princes of Asturias, the king presided over the ceremony in the presence of the re-elected Socialist Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and his government, MPs and senators.
After listening to the national anthem, the King inspected troops and greeted the presidents of the lower and upper house, before making his speech which was greeted with warm applause by all but the Nationalist parties.

Coach Crash
Nine Finnish tourists, including a seven year old girl, were killed in a coach crash in southern Spain on Saturday evening, near the southern coastal resort of Benalmadena, close to Malaga. Initial reports claimed the bus had collided with a 4X4 which had been driving erratically and at high speeds in treacherous road conditions. The vehicle collided with the bus, causing it to hit a barrier and then overturn on the AP-7 highway. The driver of the 4X4 was detained on suspicion of drink driving.
There were a total of 44 passengers on the coach, all from Finland, as they made their way back to the airport, on the first leg of their journey home.
The eastbound lanes on the AP-7 highway remained closed for several hours after the incident, while the investigation continued.

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By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here - you are quite safe!!

If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com