lara croft

hi. i've been resident in spain for almost 10 years. i am now a single parent with my 12 year old daughter living with me and my 16 year old son living in the uk.

for the past few weeks, i have been subjected to violent threats and harrassment via facebook, sms and email by a former colleague, (up until he was fired just over a week ago).

the reason for this abuse? i didn't want to go out with him.

anyhow, i've now denounced this man and he has until friday to make his responding statement. whether he shows up or not is to be seen but whatever the outcome, i want to ensure this goes to court and justice served because this man has a track record of this kind of behaviour.

unfortunately, at the police station, i didn't have access to a translator and i tried to ask if there was a way i could find out when this man is to be apprehended...do they just call him and tell him to come make his statement or do they show up at his house? apparently, it will be guardia civil. but they were talking so fast that i didn't catch everything that was said (the statement however, i did understand completely and agreed it was an accurate record btw)

i just have no idea of knowing if i should expect some kind of backlash from this man unless he's banged up somewhere.

which obviously leads me to think i need to get a lawyer really soon but i can't afford it right now. is there something i can do in this situation? i am autonomo and previously was employed on Gibraltar and so consequently, haven't made many contributions to the spanish system. is my residency enough to qualify me for some legal assistance at least?

many thanks

spainrico

Sorry not sure about legal aid, but from Spanish newspapers and TV I know the Spanish take physical violence against women very seriously so you are well protected by the system. Suggest you enquire at your local town hall about legal aid and check for the special emergency tele number for these cases.

JLFS

So far it has only been abuse on the internet, and the great protction you talk about is not so great......

Lenox

I have some people bothering me on the Internet - they use my full name dot com for their own purposes.
...also dot net, dot es, dot co dot uk and several others.
Lenox Napier

big wheels

If it bothers the op that much.
Bin face-book, change your e-mail and mobile number.

Job done.

lara croft

hi. actually, it wasn't just internet abuse as i worked with this person. it was on every level apart from physical follow through. any man who threatens a woman is way too spineless to actually be dangerous but he has to know that there is a consequence for being a malicious gobshite. this is not the first time he's done this and he will continue doing so until someone bites back. which is what i am doing.

while the police are taking this very seriously, i am not really afforded much protection as i have no clue what is currently going on apart from him having to make his statement by friday.

if needs be, i will represent myself in court as the evidence i have against this man is irrefutable.

lara croft

and of course i thought to block him on facebook, etc... then the emails started coming from multiple accounts...then the texts and calls from different or witheld numbers. he was relentless. everything is quiet now though

cricketman

Is your Spanish good enough to represent yourself in court?

If not then definitely get a solicitor. Just go down to the local courts and ask what the process is. They'll be able to point you in the right direction

JLFS

The police will not have much power to do much without physical violence, what level of protection you are getting and what level of protection you are expecting?

Hillybilly

Yes well, good luck but don't hold your breath...
I had cause to call the Guardia Civil and subsequently denounce a (now ex obviously) boyfriend in 2009 for forced entry to my house and a physical assault. The Guardia acted swiftly enough at the time and a restraining order was slapped on him in person.
I was summoned to court swiftly but only for an appt with the court doctor.
I was advised that it would be heard in the High Court in Sevilla due to its serious nature...and more than 2 years on I'm still waiting for the case to go to court...
A very nice man from the Guardia calls me every so often to check I'm OK and last time I saw him (a month ago) he said he's look into why it was taking so long to get to court and would get back to me...still waiting...
The cynic in me suspects that I'm permanently at the bottom of the pile as I'm a foreigner...
So, what I'm saying is don't go fretting about lawyers/translators just yet ;o)

lara croft

hillybilly: unfortunately, i thought that may be the case but there's no harm in trying.

jlfs: i'm not really looking for protection as such...more peace of mind and so i just want to know what is going on right now or if i am to wait for a call from the police to find out. his last message from an unknown number said 'i hope you enjoy my little gift, hahaha'...i guess it's all got to me over the last few weeks. i'm worried he'll be more agitated cos of the denuncia. the guy's a nutjob.