A man violently attacked several monks from the Santo Espíritu del Monte monastery located in Gilet, in the province of Valencia, on Saturday morning before fleeing. Four monks were injured, one seriously, Spanish media report. The alleged attacker was arrested on Sunday morning, report eldiaro.es and El Correo.
“Around 9:30 a.m., a middle-aged man entered the grounds of the monastery of Santo Espíritu,” described the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Franciscan order, to which the brotherhood attacked on Saturday belongs, in a press release . “The attacker, armed with a blunt object, burst in with a violent and provocative attitude, brutally attacking four of our Franciscan brothers, putting one of them in an extremely serious state. »
The religious were in their room when the attack began. According to witnesses, reports El Pais, the man, aged between 30 and 40, claimed to act “in the name of God”. He also allegedly used other objects, such as a cane and a glass bottle, to beat members of the monastery.
It was one of the monks who managed to repel the attacker, and made him flee, according to the press release from the Province of the Immaculate Conception. He told local media that the man did not cause property damage or attempt to steal anything, and that his only goal appeared to be to attack the clergy.
According to the Europa Press agency, the seriously injured monk is 76 years old and suffers from head trauma. He was initially declared dead by the Civil Guard, before correction. The three other victims, 57, 66 and 95 years old, suffered various traumas and bruises. The first two could be released from the hospital soon.
The alleged suspect was arrested Sunday morning in a squatted apartment in Sagunto, according to information from El Correo. It would be a 46-year-old man, known to the justice services for drug addiction problems, according to the same source. An investigation has been opened to determine his motives.
