Alicante surf instructor held over alleged sexual assaults

Police in Alicante province have arrested a surf club instructor over ten alleged sexual assaults. The case concerns ten students under 18 who were on an exchange programme.

The man is accused of one offence for each student. He has not been convicted, and the claims are now subject to court proceedings.

Police have not named the town where the paddle-board session took place. No student, parent or school has been identified.

Complaint followed the group activity

The inquiry began when the head of a Spanish language school went to police. Students on its exchange programme had reported alleged sexual conduct during an activity run by the club.

The school head first contacted the students’ parents. She then filed a complaint for the ten students.

Officers spoke to each student separately. Police said their accounts matched and all pointed to the same instructor.

Investigators then used a set of photographs during the identification process. Police said all ten students selected the same man.

The students had taken part in two groups. The complaint concerned ten students from one group, while the other session passed without a report.

Arrest followed police checks

Once officers had identified a suspect, they watched the area near his home in Alicante city. Police entered the home the next day and arrested him.

The man works as a sports instructor at a surf club. Police are treating the case as ten suspected sexual assault offences.

After the first police inquiries, officers sent him before Alicante’s duty investigating courts. The reports do not give the court’s next decision.

One account said the suspect had a past record for sexual violence. Another only said police used pictures of people with prior records. This article does not state that he had such a record because the accounts differ.

The case remains at an early stage. An arrest means police suspect a person of an offence; it does not establish guilt.

Spain’s 016 service offers free and confidential help on violence against women.

Sources: Las Provincias; elDiario.es; La Vanguardia.