Santa Ponsa: Two Young Tourists Released After Knife- and Beating Allegations

Night in Santa Ponça: Punches, Kicks and a Quick Release

It was one of those humid July nights we know here: at 3:45 a.m., still late, but already getting light again. In a side street near the Santa Ponça promenade — locals say on Carrer de la Mar, where a small tattoo studio sits — an altercation escalated, which is now going to court, even though there will be no formal proceeding.

What happened (in brief)

According to the police, a group of young men reportedly stormed a tattoo studio and later attacked a 20-year-old man on the street. The man apparently lost consciousness after being punched and kicked by several people. The 71-year-old grandfather of his partner, who tried to intervene, was knocked to the ground.

Paramedics transported the two victims with severe facial injuries to Palma. On the scene, witnesses observed two suspects trying to hide between parked cars before the officers arrested them.

Why there was no indictment

The investigation has now been concluded surprisingly quickly. The presiding judge has dismissed the case — the reason: the victims could not clearly identify the alleged perpetrators in court. That sounds clinical, but it isn’t. For the injured and their families it's a bitter disappointment.

The two young men were briefly detained and released a few hours later. According to investigators, their defense noted that there is no clear evidence of involvement in the crime.

Voices from the neighborhood

“You often hear that it gets loud at night, but I wouldn't have expected something like this,” says a resident walking her dog that morning. A nearby establishment along the street provided the victims with blankets and water in the first hour, according to witnesses — small help, big impact.

The police emphasize that the file has been closed pending new evidence. That doesn't mean no one is investigating; it just means: without identification, no trial.

What remains

For many on the island, the case is a dilemma. On the one hand, there is the urgent concern for greater public safety in popular party areas. On the other hand is the right to the presumption of innocence and the legal hurdles when victims are in shock or have hardly seen anything at night.

If you are in the area: take care in the early morning hours. And if you saw something, report it — sometimes a single witness decides justice.