Valencia dispute over begging spot near church ends in stabbing

According to sources, a dispute over begging spot near the church of Santa María del Mar prompted the attack.

The incident took place shortly after 1am on 29 August. The victim was sitting in the square by Tribunal de les Aigües and drinking beer. The suspect arrived on a bicycle and demanded money from him.

The two men, who live in the shanty town near the Formula 1 circuit, had previously argued over where to beg for money.

After the victim replied that he had no money, the attacker sprayed his face with deodorant. He then tried to stab him in the chest, but the victim managed to dodge the blow and the knife merely tore his T-shirt. In a second attack, he stabbed him under the left arm.

Despite his injury, the victim chased after his assailant and came across a Local Police patrol. When the police saw the man gesticulating wildly, looking very upset and wearing a bloodstained T-shirt, they came to his aid, spoke to him and identified the perpetrator.

The police found the knife and the can of deodorant in the bicycle basket. When questioned, the man admitted to the stabbing, but claimed that the incident had occurred during a fight and that he had acted in self-defence, stating that the victim had struck him with a chain.

The victim had only recently moved to the area and started begging outside the church, which was the suspect's usual spot.

Given the seriousness of the injury, the police arrested the suspect and called for medical assistance. An ambulance took the victim to Hospital Clínico.

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