A 27-year-old Moroccan man, described as an illegal migrant, has been arrested in Valencia on suspicion of raping a 22-year-old woman who had gone for an early-morning swim after a night out. Police allege he crept up on her as she lay on the sand, covered her mouth to stop her screaming, and tore off her dress before assaulting her, with a passer-by alerting officers who arrested him following a chase in which he allegedly punched a policeman.

The alleged attack took place at around 6.45am on Sunday on Malvarrosa Beach, an urban beach east of Valencia city centre near the Akuarela nightclub. The woman, said to have been drinking, was found semi-naked and taken to La Fe Hospital for tests. The suspect was due in court, where a judge was expected to remand him in custody pending investigation. The article also references three other recent alleged sexual assaults on British tourists in Spain this year, in Valencia and Palma, though these are unrelated incidents.