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Date Published: 23/08/2024

Spanish taxi driver brutally assaulted by German tourists

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“I thought they were going to kill me,” the seriously injured Mallorca driver said

Spanish taxi driver brutally assaulted by German tourists

A 71-year-old taxi driver from Mallorca, José María P, is recovering in the hospital after a violent attack by four German holidaymakers, who claimed to be police officers from Essen. The incident, which left José María with a broken arm, two fractured ribs and severe bruising, occurred on the night of Tuesday August 20.

The ordeal began when José María, a seasoned driver with more than 40 years of experience shuttling tourists around the island, picked up a group of seven people in Playa de Palma. Two taxis were booked to take the group to a rural hotel in Petra, with José María driving three.

José María said the ride itself was uneventful, with one of the passengers even giving him a generous tip after they arrived. However, things took a dark turn when one of the Germans claimed his mobile phone had gone missing.

Tensions quickly escalated as the group began accusing José María of stealing the phone, despite his insistence that he hadn’t even seen the mobile. The situation spiralled out of control and the Germans began beating the elderly taxi driver.

"They started punching and kicking me. I begged them to stop, but it was no use," José María said, adding that when he threatened to call the police, “they just said they were the police.”

According to the taxi driver, the men were in their 20s and clearly drunk.

Fortunately, the Guardia Civil arrived just in time, potentially saving the driver's life. One of the Germans attempted to bribe the officers and the taxi driver to avoid pressing charges, but José María refused.

“I thought they were going to kill me. I can hardly understand how my body survived the attack,” said the Mallorcan.

Incredibly, the Guardia Civil only arrested the German tourist who offered the bribe. However, when José María’s son saw the injuries inflicted on his father the following morning in the hospital, he demanded further action from the authorities, and two more suspects were identified and taken into custody.

Despite this, the three Germans were released without bail after appearing before a magistrate. They have since returned to Germany, where authorities are expected to investigate the incident further.

In a horrible twist of irony, the mobile phone the taxi driver was accused of stealing was later found in one of the German holidaymakers' bags.

In other news: easyJet announces new summer flights between UK and Spain

Image: Freepik

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