Police arrest man, 25, for sexually assaulting 22-year-old woman at Puerta del Sol camp

Arrest in the plaza

Spanish police detained a man in the early hours of Sunday, 25 October 2026, inside the improvised camp at the Puerta del Sol in central Madrid. Europa Press gave his age as 26, while LaSexta and El Confidencial both reported 25, so the sources differ on that detail. Police received an alert around 6:30 that morning, and officers who reached the square found the suspect still there. El Confidencial says several patrols from the Centro district station went to the scene in the middle of the night. The man is awaiting transfer to a judge, according to Europa Press.

The assault inside the tent

According to police sources cited by Europa Press, the man climbed into a tent and touched a young woman, who objected to his behaviour. LaSexta, relaying her account to officers, said she was inside her tent when a man came in and began sexually assaulting her. El Confidencial, citing police sources, reported that he rubbed his genitals against her right thigh and buttock. Another young man in the tent who objected to the conduct was hit several times, according to LaSexta. El Confidencial adds that the suspect then punched other campers who had criticised him, leaving two young men injured, and that a third person was also attacked. The woman told police she wanted to file a formal complaint, the outlet reported.

Timeline of the night

El Confidencial places the first approach during the night of Saturday to Sunday, when the man walked over to the tent where the woman was and made several lewd comments from its entrance, which was open. He then went inside, and two young people who saw the scene confronted him. Europa Press puts the arrest at around 6:30 on Sunday, while LaSexta says police received the alert at 6:30. El Confidencial gives 6:35 as the time of the detention itself.

The camp and the investigation

El Confidencial says the encampment had been in place for about a month when the attack happened, having grown out of protests for the right to housing after an eviction. The site has since drawn homeless people and others who replaced its original organisers, according to the outlet. The tent where the suspect was staying was set slightly apart from the others, near the Calle del Arenal. The perimeter has been covered with tarpaulins that block the view into the camp. LaSexta reports that police have opened an investigation to establish what happened and whether the suspect was among the people camping there.