Missing Murcia woman tells of 22 months of captivity and terror

Escaped victim describes beatings, threats and psychological control as neighbour recalls the night she fled

A 38-year-old woman who says she was held captive for nearly two years in a rural property in San José de la Vega, Murcia, has described her ordeal in harrowing detail to a judge, alleging repeated beatings, sexual assaults and constant threats to her life.

Salma, originally from Morocco, told investigators she was lured from Barcelona in April 2024 by a man she had met, believing she was starting a new relationship. Instead, she says, she was taken to a house on the outskirts of Murcia and prevented from leaving almost from the moment she arrived. For 22 months, she alleges, she lived under total control.

“He would beat me with a mallet until he got tired,” she told the court. On one occasion, she said, the assault was so severe that she spent a week crawling around the house because she could not stand. She also told the judge that he repeatedly told her she “belonged to him” and that no one would ever believe her if she tried to report him.

She claims she was frequently tied up, sometimes for hours at a time, and isolated from the outside world, with her phone taken away and her movements strictly controlled. According to her testimony, he monitored everything she did, deciding when she could eat, sleep or even speak.

Her alleged captor, known locally as ‘El Coletas’, has been remanded in custody. Three other people have also been arrested as part of the investigation, which is continuing to examine whether anyone else was aware of what was happening inside the property.

Last Tuesday, a momentary lapse in her alleged kidnapper's vigilance gave Salma the opportunity she had been waiting for. After what she described as a particularly violent assault, he fell asleep without restraining her. Injured and terrified, she seized the moment. Climbing onto a ladder she found inside the house, she made her way over the wall and ran.

It was a neighbour who first saw the reality of her condition. Juan, 69, was at home when Salma appeared at his door after climbing a ladder and jumping a two-metre wall to escape. “She was covered in blood,” he said. “There isn’t an inch of her body that doesn’t have a bruise.”

He described stab wounds that appeared to have been crudely self-treated and injuries so severe they left her blind in one eye. “It’s not about believing her,” he said quietly. “It’s about seeing her. You could see what she had been through.”

He admitted he had long wondered why she had disappeared. “I thought she was in Morocco with her family, that she might have changed her phone number there and that’s why she wasn’t answering me. But it was very strange that she hadn’t given me any sign of life,” he remarked. “Now I understand everything. Now it all makes sense…”

“If I'm trying to process this, imagine how Salma must be feeling. She must be traumatised for life,” reflects Juan, who is aware that his friend “is going to have a very hard time recovering.”

According to Salma’s testimony, she had previously tried to seek help. More than a year ago, she secretly swapped SIM cards in her captor’s phone and managed to call 112, but could not provide an exact address. She says police came to the area and knocked on the door, but the man avoided detection. When they left, she alleges, he beat her again.

Psychologists say that prolonged abuse often creates a state of fear and paralysis that can prevent victims from escaping, even when opportunities arise. Constant threats, humiliation and violence can generate a deep sense of helplessness, making survival the only focus.

She is now staying in a protected shelter while the judicial investigation continues. Authorities are examining the extent of the abuse and whether others who visited the property might have suspected something was wrong.

Image: Digital representation