A German national died in Jávea last Saturday after he and his wife were tortured in their own home. The 69-year-old former restaurant owner was asleep with his wife in bed last Saturday night when intruders gained access to their house in the Costa Nova urbanisation. The attack took place at three o’clock in the morning when three attackers broke into the house, despite signs outside indicating that it was protected both by guard dogs and an alarm system. (It later transpired that these were false signs and there were neither dogs nor alarms.) Having dragged the couple from their beds they were tied to chairs and the women was beaten whilst one of the attackers who spoke German demanded to know the whereabouts of the safe. After repeatedly hitting the woman the gang started to attack the man beating him with a blunt instrument and inflicting numerous cuts with a knife all over his body. Whilst torturing the man they repeatedly said they were convinced that there was a large amount of money in the house despite the dead man insisting it was in the bank. During the course of the attack on the man he suffered a heart attack and died. The attackers stole what items of value they could find in the house and fled. Initial reports suggest the attackers knew that the couple had recently sold their business, restaurant El Rancho on the Cabo de la Nao road, and had the proceeds of sale in the house. Other theories suggest that it was the fact that the villa was large and apparently luxurious that led the gang to target it. Police enquiries led investigators to believe that one of the attackers was known to the couple but this theory is now being dismissed.
More police Residents in the Costa Nova area say they are ‘terrified’ following the attack. Iron grilles are permanently closed at the doorways and the whole place is quiet as they stay inside with all doors and windows locked and barred. Jávea’s mayor has asked for an urgent meeting with the government in Alicante to demand better police protection for the town and an increase in the number of Guardia Civil. Although this is the worst incident of its kind in recent times there has been a marked increase in the number of robberies in the area over the summer months.
