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Spain's national Ministry of the Interior has released the crime balance report for 2024. According to the document, in the past year, Malaga province has seen a rise in attempted murders and sexual assaults, while kidnappings, theft and cyber scams have either dropped or stagnated.
The year closed with two violent crimes. There was the murder of a 42-year-old Benalmádena resident by her brother, 38, on 3 December. The autopsy concluded that the victim had been stabbed around a hundred times and the investigation concluded that, during the night, the suspect took two kitchen knives and went to the bedroom where the victim was resting. Then there was the shooting of a man in Fuengirola on 7 December. The police are still looking for the alleged perpetrators in the second crime. The two incidents were the last ones to enter the statistics of intentional and completed homicides, amounting to a total of 20 cases registered in 2024, 46.7% more than in 2023.
The latest crime statistics, relating to the fourth quarter of last year, shows that attempted murders also increased by 14.5% (56 compared to 64). On 24 December, a German man was shot in the leg in broad daylight near a pharmacy on Avenida de las Naciones Unidas in Marbella, and had to be rushed to hospital.
The report also highlights the ongoing increase in crimes against sexual freedom. Although the latest growth is moderate, compared to previous years, the trend continues upwards with a rise of 10.6%, especially in cases involving penetration.
According to crime reports collected by the state security forces and corps, 175 rapes were committed in Malaga province in 2024, or, in other words, approximately one every two days, compared to 153 in 2023. The Ministry has associated this upwards trend to the increase in awareness-raising policies and the reduction of social and personal tolerance towards this type of crime, which "translates into a greater willingness of victims to report them" and to place their trust in the police.
One such case occurred on 10 January last year, when an 18-year-old woman reported having been raped at the Hotel Cervantes in Torremolinos. Police officers arrested the offender, 25, and two of his friends, who were apparently also in the room when the events occurred. The young woman was taken to the Hospital Materno Infantil in Malaga for a forensic examination in accordance with the protocol established in such cases.
Other traditional crimes have generally stagnated or declined. Kidnappings have plummeted, with only seven cases recorded compared to 16 in 2023. One of the most significant was that of a tourist who was kidnapped after landing in Malaga and held for 23 days, during which he was shackled, with his face covered with masks and balaclavas. The alleged kidnappers demanded that his family pay 500,000 euros in cryptocurrencies. However, the National Police managed to set up a sting operation for his release.
All types of robberies have also experienced a decrease, although the figures for those committed with violence and intimidation and with force in homes, businesses, and other premises remain high: 1,861 (53 fewer than in 2023) and 4,412 (220 fewer), respectively. One of the recurrent techniques that thieves use, in public included, is the 'mataleón', which involves the perpetrators grabbing the victim from behind, putting an arm around their neck and applying pressure, sometimes causing the loss of consciousness.
Other reassuring data is those of cybercrime, which increased by just 1.5% (from 17,993 to 18,258). It is worth noting the slight decrease in the number of frauds committed over the internet, 16,086 compared to 16,241 in 2023, 1% less, which could be related to the prevention and awareness campaigns regarding the dangers of computer hoaxes.
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