Guadalajara -
The rapes of six Spanish tourists in an Acapulco beach house early Monday morning may have been committed by the same assailants who terrorized the famous resort community in late 2012, according to authorities and witnesses familiar with those cases.
News sources report that federal and state prosecutors have known for at least two months that a band of robber-rapists was operating in the vicinity of Punta Diamanate, where the six women, ranging in age from 24 to 38, were attacked and terrorized for three hours.
The modus operandi in the previous crimes was quite similar to Monday's. Hooded and masked men arrived late at night or early in the morning, entered the targeted properties and quickly restrained the occupants. They stole cash and anything else of value. Some of the victims were sexually assaulted.
The first attack occurred Nov. 4. The victims, also tourists, were robbed but not physically harmed. On Nov. 19 at least three home invasions occurred over a five hour period, which investigators now believe were committed by the same gang. Ten persons were robbed, three women were raped and five others were kidnapped and held for hours before being released uninjured. All the cases occurred along the same stretch of beach where the Spanish tourists were assaulted this week.
Uneasy locals say that a criminal band has been operating in the area since October (video clip). A witness told the Milenio network that 15 men participated in one of the incidents.
Eight men have been detained in connection with the cases, although officially they've been called only "material witnesses." The suspects, who range in age fro 26 to 42, were taken to Mexico City (Feb. 8 - Today could bring arrests in Acapulco rape case, as more disturbing details emerge).
The men have been in federal police custody since Jan. 24, so it's obvious they were not personally involved in Monday's rapes. But authorities apparently believe they are part of a larger group of local marauders in Acapulco.
Their families insist that the men are innocent. "We want the real criminals to be found; it serves no purpose to arrest people who haven't done anything," said a brother of one detainee.
José Domingo Sánchez Silva, another detainee, denied that he and his companions had anything to do with the rapes of the Spanish tourists, or that they know who is responsible. "We thought they would see that we couldn't possibly have had anything to do with the attacks against (the women), and that the guilty parties are still out there. But we're still here, and they're blaming us for things we didn't do," he said.
"They threatened us, they tortured us, they made us sign a false confession," added Sánchez.
Meanwhile, no one has been formally charged with the rapes.
Feb. 13 - Mexican prosecutors announce arrests in Acapulco rapes
Feb. 10 - The governor of Guerrero state, Ángel Aguirre, said today that two men are in custody for the October 2012 rape of an Acapulco tourist, who purportedly has identified them. He stopped short of suggesting that the suspects also committed the November rapes, or the assaults of the Spanish tourists a week ago. "We're going to proceed with due caution and carry out these investigations in an intelligent manner, so that those responsible go to jail," said Aguirre.
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