The Mossos d’Esquadra are conducting a major investigation into the brutal rape of a 45-year-old woman during a midday walk with her dogs in a well-known Barcelona park. The attack took place last Friday, February 13th, in the scenic Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens on Montjuïc hill, sparking fear in the local community and prompting an intensified police presence in the area.

According to police sources cited by El Periódico, the assault was of a savagery rarely seen. One officer described it as a “brutal” attack with a level of violence “that we haven’t seen in a long time.” The victim, a resident of the nearby Poble-sec neighbourhood, was walking her two dogs at around 12:00 PM when the assailant struck.

The attacker reportedly ambushed her from behind, using a chokehold known as the ‘mataleón’ to render her semi-unconscious. He initially claimed he intended to rob her. However, when she indicated she had nothing of value, he dragged her behind a rock and some bushes, where he subjected her to a sexual assault that lasted at least 40 minutes. Before fleeing, he threatened her not to report the incident to the police.

The Investigation and Manhunt

After the attacker fled, the woman managed to seek help. Officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra arrived at the scene and transported her to the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona for urgent medical care. She later formally filed a complaint at the police station in Plaça Espanya, officially launching the investigation.

The elite Central Unit for Sexual Assaults (UCAS) is now leading the manhunt, having been assigned the case. The victim has provided investigators with a description of her attacker: a dark-haired man approximately 1.60 metres (5 feet 3 inches) tall. Some reports, such as one from El Caso, note that the victim believed the man to be of North African origin.

As part of the investigation, the woman bravely accompanied officers back to the gardens to reconstruct the attack. She described the harrowing experience to journalists, recounting how she felt tremors upon returning. When she reached the rock where the assault culminated, she embraced it. “I started to cry and the mossa (female officer) who was with me hugged me and we both cried,” she said, marking the moment as the beginning of her recovery.

Community on Edge and Increased Policing

The violent attack has sent shockwaves through the Poble-sec community and other areas bordering Montjuïc hill. Residents, particularly women who frequent the park for exercise or to walk their dogs, have expressed deep concern for their safety. Consequently, local social media groups filled with messages from people arranging to walk in groups and warning others to avoid the more isolated parts of the mountain.

Police have visibly increased patrols throughout the Sants-Montjuïc district, with both uniformed and plain-clothed officers monitoring the area. While police noted that patrols had already been reinforced due to other recent incidents, the manhunt has intensified their presence.

This is not the first reported sexual assault in the area in recent months. Last October, another woman reported being assaulted near the Petra Kelly gardens, also on Montjuïc, where a man groped her before chasing her and throwing rocks as she fled.

The Hospital Clínic, a leading centre for treating victims of sexual violence, reported in mid-2025 that the number of cases it handled had grown by 15%, attending to 784 victims in 2024 alone. This equates to an average of two assaults per day.

Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Mossos d’Esquadra. Support is also available for victims of sexual violence through the Generalitat de Catalunya’s 24-hour hotline at 900 900 120 and organisations such as the Assistance Association to Sexually Assaulted Women (AADAS).

Primary source: 20 Minutos Barcelona.