Three people walking down a street with their faces blurred. — The young people who sow fear in the neighborhood | Cedida

Camara — The young people who sow fear in the neighborhood | Cedida

Critical situation in Bellvitge: group of foreigners has residents scared

They usually mug young girls, elderly people, or people with mobility issues

16/05/2025 11:50:00h

Redacción

The rise of violence and crime has disrupted coexistence in many humble neighborhoods of Catalonia. The new socialist government promised a tough approach to improve street safety. Meanwhile, residents continue to suffer the consequences of social degradation and the failure of the multicultural model.

A group of people is gathered in an outdoor area at night, with trees and shadows visible in the surroundings.

Image of the young people who have taken over the Bellvitge neighborhood | Cedida

This is what's happening in the Bellvitge neighborhood, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. This area has been experiencing an increase in insecurity for some time. Frequent fights and assaults are now joined by problems caused by a group of young foreigners.

Residents claim that in recent weeks these young people have been involved in several assaults and robberies, and that they are spreading fear. Residents have organized to defend themselves against these criminals. It is increasingly common to see how citizens, tired of the authorities' inaction, decide to self-organize to protect their safety.

Citizen patrols

These residents, tired of the situation, have created WhatsApp groups to organize deterrent patrols. The groups serve to share information and identify the criminals by spreading their photos.

The digital outlet El Enclave has shared some of these messages. "Yesterday they followed my mother all along the promenade," says one, "warn your elders that they are targeting the most defenseless." Another citizen testifies that "two boys on a scooter just took a tourist's phone."

Another reports that "a dark-skinned man from abroad" stole his 88-year-old grandmother's wallet. A girl says that a young man on a scooter snatched her cousin's purse while they were at a crosswalk.

Profile and modus operandi of the robbers

All the messages agree on the appearance and modus operandi of the criminals. It is a group of up to 15 young people with Arab features who often ride scooters. They roam around looking for a suitable victim, who are usually young girls, the elderly, or people with mobility issues.

The image shows three accounts of robbery incidents in public areas. In the first, an individual on a scooter snatches a gold chain from a woman at a crosswalk. In the second, a man follows an elderly woman down the street but leaves when she refuses his help. In the third, an 88-year-old woman is the victim of a purse snatching by a man who tried to enter an elevator with her. Older people are warned about these dangers.

WhatsApp messages shared by the neighbors | Whatsapp

In some cases, they use the snatch technique, although they also follow the victim to the entrance of their home to assault them inside. Their profile matches that of the repeat offenders who are wreaking havoc in Catalonia, especially in Barcelona.

"A group of lifelong Bellvitge boys are going to start meeting to patrol the neighborhood in search of these criminals, since the police aren't doing anything." This is the announcement of one of the users of this channel. "We do this because we have grandparents, sisters, mothers, and fathers who can't defend themselves alone," he adds.

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