Fuengirola young man reports knife attack by two hooded individuals

Juan Diego left his home in Fuengirola around 6am on 6 April to catch the commuter train to Malaga for work, just like every morning. He never expected that that day he would cross paths with two hooded individuals on a scooter who allegedly assaulted him.

It happened on Calle Camilo José Cela. The suspects stopped in front of him and demanded money, speaking in English. According to the victim's account, a struggle ensued when he refused to give them money.

At one point, one of the suspects pulled out a butterfly knife and pulled Juan to the ground. "That's when I surrendered and started emptying my pockets," the victim says, adding that one of the individuals threatened to step on his head.

Ultimately, the assailants grabbed his backpack, which contained work clothes, a book and a headphone case, and fled on the scooter. His cell phone and headphones also fell to the ground during the scuffle, but they didn't take them.

"I got up and my shirt was covered in blood around the chest. I thought they had killed me," Juan says. The young man had a stab wound in his neck and another in his back, as well as a scratch on his side. When he realised that none of the injuries were life-threatening, he called his manager to let him know he couldn't go to work. He then returned home to also alert his partner about what had happened and went to a hospital to get stitches.

Although the value of the stolen items is small, Juan Diego is carrying the emotional burden of the attack. "I feel like my sense of security has been shattered. I set foot outside and I'm already paranoid," he says.