The alleged Benamocarra attacker was released from prison in February and was wearing an electronic tag

They describe the suspect as someone with a long criminal record and a history of violence against other partners.

Andrés H. A., a Spanish man in his forties from the town of Chauchina in Granada, was released from prison last February after serving a four-year sentence. SUR has been unable to confirm the exact nature of the offences for which he was imprisoned.

A few weeks after his release, he met Rocío, a 38-year-old resident of Benamocarra, via social media. At no point did he tell her about his criminal record, his time in prison or the previous assaults that are now being investigated by the police.

The man was wearing an electronic tag, although he had apparently explained to Rocío that he had to wear it because of a previous fight with another man. “He told me it was because he’d had a fight with a man,” said the victim, who was unaware that it might be linked to court orders or restraining orders against women.

The two met at the end of March and had a brief relationship without ever living together. “We only saw each other eight or nine times; I went up to Granada three or four times for a short while and he came down just as many times,” explained Rocío, who says that right from the start she noticed behaviour that made her wary.

Rocío recalls that Andrés repeatedly insisted that she share her mobile phone’s location with him. She also describes incidents involving “shouting, screaming and jealousy” which led her to decide to end the relationship at the end of May.

After the break-up she says she had “constant harassment” including calls from withheld numbers, fake social media profiles, messages and bouquets of flowers sent to her workplace, a hotel in Torrox-Costa. On some days, she reportedly received between 30 and 40 calls.

The “nightmarish, horror-film-like” situation came to a head at around 7.30 pm on Wednesday 22 July, as Rocío was returning to her home in Benamocarra. The suspect attacked her from behind and struck her repeatedly on the head and other parts of her body with a large stone he had picked up nearby.

The court in Vélez-Málaga has ordered her to be remanded in custody, in a secure facility and without bail, on suspicion of attempted murder, causing bodily harm, breach of a previous sentence, threats and coercion. Rocío has been registered on the VioGén system with an ‘extreme risk’ classification.