DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR TRAGIC ACCIDENT?By David Eade
First the facts. Francisco and Catalina were a married couple aged 56 and 52 years who lived in the edificio Mirasierra in the avenida de Málaga in Ronda. Their bodies were found in the apartment late last Tuesday night. The local police had been alerted by a family member who could not raise them on the phone.
The officers went to the building and receiving no answer on the intercom entered the apartment via an open window. Inside they found a gruesome scene. Both Francisco and Catalina were dead – he from a gun shot wound, she from having been struck violently by a blunt object.
The first assumption was this was another tragic case of domestic violence and it was portrayed as such in the media reports. Last Thursday around 100 people gathered outside the doors of Ronda town hall to stand for five minutes in silence in memory of the first victim of domestic violence in Málaga province this year.
Now questions are being asked. It is certain that Catalina was the innocent victim. However she had not made any official complaint about domestic violence, had not contacted the women’s centre at the Casa de la Cultura nor did neighbours or family know of any problems between the two.
So now there is second hypothesis. Police say that it is possible that Catalina was killed when she tried to intervene to prevent her husband committing suicide. She was struck by a blunt object that could have been the butt of the shot gun as she struggled with him. However the weapon had only been discharged once and that was the shot that killed Francisco. He was found on the bed with the gun whilst she was on the floor.
Both were buried in Ronda last Thursday in emotional ceremonies. Post mortems were carried out before interment and the police are now awaiting the results of the tests which they hope will help provide the facts behind this tragedy.
TRADERS LOCK HORNS OVER BULL RING PARKINGThe traders of the traditional shopping area of Ronda are furious that the open car park beside the town’s famous bull ring has now been closed. This follows the action of the town hall in responding to the regional government’s prompting by closing the parking to make the paseo Blas Infante in to a pedestrian zone.
In so doing from Monday 75 car parking spaces that served the central calle La Bola with its numerous shops, restaurants, bars and hotels has been removed. The workers have been moved to the Castillo car park in the historic quarter of Ronda which from August 10 will accept 200 vehicles.
There are other underground and surface car parks nearby but the bullring facility was right on the doorstep of the commercial area. This says the small and medium business association (Apymer) is a major blow for its members already suffering badly from the economic crisis.
The town hall has stated that it has no option but to close the car park after a report from the regional government’s heritage commission. It took a dim view of the fact that parking was allowed alongside the 200-year-old bullring which is one of the major monuments and key tourist attractions in Andalucía.
Apymer says it is dismayed that the regional government has ordered the closure and points out it goes against the Andalucía authority’s support for open commercial centres such as Ronda’s. However as the car park has to close then another space should be found adjacent to the shopping centre for clients and tourists to park.
CAMPING SCOUTS COME DOWN WITH SWINE FLU
A group of children from the San Felipe Neri school in Cádiz had to come home early from a camping trip to Ronda after two of their party came down with symptoms resembling those of swine flu. It was later confirmed that they were suffering from the virus. The 61 children and 21 adults arrived at the Grupo Chaminade campsite on July 18 and were due to stay until July 30.
Last Tuesday, two of the youngsters showed flu-like symptoms, and a local doctor was called. He notified the Andalucían Health Service, which sent an epidemiologist and a paediatrician to the site; they decided that the two children should be admitted to hospital, and ordered the rest of the party to return home to Cádiz.
Doctors at Ronda hospital said one of the children had the symptoms of a common cold and he was released immediately afterwards; the other, who was suffering from high temperature, vomiting, runny nose and dehydration, was released later the same day and both were allowed to return home but were told to remain in isolation.
CASTLE CLEANING
Volunteers from Canada, Turkey, France, Germany, Czech Republic and Spain have descended on Cañete la Real for a clean-up operation on the village’s famous castle. The 28 will spend 15 days working on the Castillo Hins Canit cleaning and refurbishing the area around the historic monument.
DISGRACED SON
The former dictator Francisco Franco is no longer an honoured son of Ronda. The council has voted to withdraw the honour which was bestowed on him in 1967 along with Ronda’s gold medal when the municipality had a military governor as mayor. Partido Popular councillor José Herrera said he believed local people should have voted on the issue but then back the motion.
CHILD’S PLAY
It had been feared that the new access roads being constructed in to Ronda would have cut through the playground of the Colores nursery school bringing traffic right up to its doors. Some 225 children attended the school and its owners made an official protest backed by Izquierda Unida. Now protective barriers have been erected to separate the school from the development.
SELF HELP
The health district of the Serranía de Ronda has started self-help groups amongst residents in Benaoján and Cortes de la Frontera involving those who have to care for a family member. The idea is to give them support by being able to liaise with other carers in the same situation as well as affording them access to the knowledge of professional social workers.
HOUSE BLAZE
A husband, wife and their young child escaped but were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire started in their Arriate house in the early hours of Thursday. It is believed the blaze was started by an electrical fault in the living room. The kitchen, bathroom, and other rooms were also badly damaged. The family say they have no money to make the repairs.
CASTLE PARKING
The municipal parking zone on the patio of the former El Castillo college in Ronda was to have opened on Monday but that has now been delayed to August 10 as works have not been completed. It will have 185 places and is the only parking zone that will serve both the historic town and the town hall. Local residents can no longer park outside their homes but will have a special permit to use the car park for free.
