Joshua Parfitt
AN Olive Press journalist has been attacked after exposing a ‘violent’ squatter family allegedly squatting and stealing electricity from a Costa Blanca complex.
Simon Wade was chased down the street and headbutted as a young man tore off his glasses and tried robbing his camera in broad daylight in Formentera del Segura, near Torrevieja, last Saturday.
The dedicated journalist was photographing alleged squats when the man flung open the door with his chest exposed and a tattoo reading, ‘I die for my family’.
“My specs can be replaced, and the bruising will fade, but decent people here are living with this 24/7,” Wade said.
A denuncia was made to the Guardia Civil, who called the perpetrator a ‘wild beast’ and a ‘gypsy’ with a string of convictions.
It comes as British resident, Ena Cummings, 53, contacted us claiming squatters had thrown ‘dead rats’ into the Virgen del Rosario complex’s pool and repeatedly set terraces on fire.
“They’re stealing electricity and water, meaning us residents are paying for the squatters’ utilities,” Cummings told the Olive Press.
“They have no sense of dignity, neighbours young and old have had genitalia flashed at them by squatters.”
Residents have held a community meeting, and are stuck between an expensive legal battle and bringing in ‘security’ to kick squatters out of the eight apartments, from a total of 68.
It comes after this newspaper has tirelessly reported on the ‘hellish’ Mirador Monte Pedrera complex with 24 of 64 apartments illegally occupied by ‘abusive’ gypsies and squatters in Denia.
Brit residents Linda Brown and Arnene Ashley have been ‘in and out’ of court suffering assaults, death threats and most recently winning an eviction order for the illegal squatters last month.
But the situation in Spain is far from resolved, according to a Guardia Civil source.
The agent last week blamed ‘greedy developers’ for constructing too many luxury apartment complexes at prices ordinary Spaniards ‘can’t afford’.
“The developer can’t sell their apartments, the bank repossesses the complex, and the gypsies break in,” the source told the Olive Press.
“The owner of the property is the only one who can denounce the squatters – but banks don’t want to as court cases cost thousands.
“If they do get an eviction order, the gypsies just break into another complex owned by the bank.
“Either that, or the gypsies have a legal right to request the apartment be offered as social housing.
“This means the bank will be forced to rent the flat out at between 75 to 150 euros.
“So the bank does nothing.
“The developers are tricking foreign buyers through their greed for more money.
“Meanwhile the gypsies in Spain live in better apartments than the police officers.”
