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I think it is. My only experience being physically accosted by a local was on the Portuguese and I'm a 6'1" 220 lb middle aged man.Very sorry to hear of this.
Is it just me, or is this kind of thing much more frequent on the Camino Portuguese?
Insist on it, even if they do nothing a report will have been filed.I am at the station now....they are reluctant to take a report !!!
And maybe the Portuguese tourist authorities? From my limited observations so far on Portuguese bureaucracy, it seems quite possible that whatever is reported to the police is not passed along to the tourist ministry.I will contact the Via Lusitana and see how they might help.
I wonder how much of a role the death of a pilgrim played in the increased attention?I am very sorry to hear about this. Having experienced it multiple times myself on different caminos, I know that it takes a while to shake the sense of disgust and violation. And I think that reporting it in Sao Joao da Madeira is a great idea.
I don’t think we have any data on occurrences like this in Spain and Portugal. It is true that every time someone reports an incident in Portugal on the forum, someone inevitably says something like “this seems to happen more in Portugal.” Whether it does or not, I think that the comments help to cement that impression. I have tried to find data but cannot. Having walked alone both in Spain and Portugal, my own experience is 7-0, Spain over Portugal. But that‘s anecdotal, and I wouldn’t use it to generalize about the relative frequency.
Given the much greater importance of the camino in Spain to the villages and their economies, it is probably the case that many more resources are spent to educate the Spanish police on how to deal with these incidents and to sensitize them to the fact that they cause real harm. Long time forum members may remember our many discussions from 15 years ago or more when the Spanish police typically gave the response that @Sineadmk describes here. The mantra then was — report, report, report. I won’t say that forum efforts brought about the change, but surely the voices of many women were instrumental in the many positive changes that we now see in Spain in terms of police response and support. And this is what needs to happen in Portugal, too.
I will contact the Via Lusitana and see how they might help.
Thanks for sticking it out to make the report, and then letting us know. It is good to know that the police acted professionally after the first misunderstanding.the police were very professional and helpful after all.
Perhaps these specialized police:And maybe the Portuguese tourist authorities? From my limited observations so far on Portuguese bureaucracy, it seems quite possible that whatever is reported to the police is not passed along to the tourist ministry.
And I know they very much want to encourage religious tourism and the Portuguese caminhos.
They are possibly quite unaware that this kind of reputation is trending, and would be very dismayed to find that it is!
This is important to know. In Portugal there are two police forces: the GNR and the PSP.Ok. So the police were very professional and helpful after all. The initial problem was I went to the transport police GNR.
I do think it is more frequentVery sorry to hear of this.
Is it just me, or is this kind of thing much more frequent on the Camino Portuguese?
Ok. So the police were very professional and helpful after all. The initial problem was I went to the transport police GNR. A young Police man overhead me & took over. First he thanked me for coming. Asked if I was ok. Made it clear they were transport police. Offered a lift to the general police station.
At the police station they took 90 minutes to Google translate & find the exact location on Google maps. Very kind & professional
This is such good news. And I know you don’t need praise or thanks from me, but I really appreciate your taking the time to make the report, and to go through all of that headache when you would rather be walking. What we have seen over the years in Spain is that, though these incidents do not rise to the level of criminal infractions, frequently the local police take it upon themselves to use their powers of persuasion to make things happen. The police in Santiago to whom I gave the license plate number of the car parked next to the flasher I saw on Monte Gozo told me they were going to make a home visit, even though they couldn’t arrest or charge.Ok. So the police were very professional and helpful after all. The initial problem was I went to the transport police GNR. A young Police man overhead me & took over. First he thanked me for coming. Asked if I was ok. Made it clear they were transport police. Offered a lift to the general police station.
At the police station they took 90 minutes to Google translate & find the exact location on Google maps. Very kind & professional
Very sorry to hear of this.
Is it just me, or is this kind of thing much more frequent on the Camino Portuguese?
I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m glad you were able to not let it upset you too much. Behaviour like this can escalate if not stopped so people should look out for this man and report him. Solo walking is important and you are right this should not discourage solo walkers.Flasher/Masturbater strikes again Camino Portuguese
Today Weds 15th outside Oliveira de Azemeis.
Hi, I'm a sole female & was exposed to a exhibitionist masturbater when I was walking from a country track in the way into Ol de Azemeis. No other walkers that I have spoken to had the same experience but they are male or in a couple. A fellow walker did see the man loitering about @ 20 mins before I walked by. Even though obviously unacceptable behaviour, I didn't feel endangered. I just laughed out loud & motioned he had a very small manhood....that was my defensive reaction. The best reaction in these situations is zero reaction.... pretend you don't even notice.
He definitely was lying in wait for a solo female walker & he definitely has a problem.
I phined the police station.... explained I was walking & could not take on another extra 30 mins 1 way out of my way to the station. I niavely thought the police would come to me, I could show them the location, give a description etc. TBH, once the police were informed I wasn't actually harmed they didn't understand why I was making the phone call. They took no information from me. They did apologize that this happened to me.
I'm not comfortable with the police reaction & I think I will walk to the station in Sao Joao de Madeira.
Just to say again, I am fine. I was too hungover to care enough about it & did not feel physically threatened. It distracted me from the hangover for an hour or so.
Also I walk/hike solo in many places & country. This never happened before. Don't let it discourage solo walkers
Ugh. I had pictured there was a wider space between you. The closeness is very upsetting.This is the location, he was hiding behind the white building
Without doubt, incidents of flashing and masuturabation should be reported. But I wonder if the authorities who provide the 112 emergency number consider such incidents as emergencies.There is continuing concern about incidents affecting female pilgrims. We reiterate the advice given by a number of pilgrim associations and the Spanish authorities:
Before you set out, programme the emergency number 112 into your telephone.
Consider downloading this App issued by the Spanish government:
https://alertcops.ses.mir.es/mialertcops/info/info.xhtml
The app allows anyone in Spain to send an alert from a mobile device "smartphone'"straight to the police..
If you feel threatened or uncomfortable or if you are assaulted in any way TRY TO REMOVE yourself to a place of safety immediately
Call the police – the best number to use is 112 which covers all of Spain (and much of Europe) and which has operators who speak English.
And please, please, REPORT all incidents to the police. Too many of these unlawful aggressions are never reported, which means that the full extent of the problem is hidden from the authorities.
No. They’d much rather wait until something really nasty happensWithout doubt, incidents of flashing and masuturabation should be reported. But I wonder if the authorities who provide the 112 emergency number consider such incidents as emergencies.
The Police in Portugal are abbreviated under GNR.. initially I thought it expanded to Guns’n Roses..Perhaps the OP on site now in Portugal might call the Vis Lusitania hot line directly for help using S.O.S.Peregrino on their web.
Not to be argumentative, but I doubt that.No. They’d much rather wait until something really nasty happens
Dunno where you get that idea from but I'm not inclined to argue either. Just to state that anyone finding themselves in a threat situation should follow the advice that Moderators on this website will always offer:Not to be argumentative, but I doubt that.
More likely they have the training and knowledge that you do not. There is no correlation between this disgusting behavior and a progression to "something really nasty" that would constitute an emergency.
And do you wonder about this in a personal and generally global manner as one does when one reads posts on the forum, or are you specifically taking issue with the clear advice given in the note on this forum that can be found under this link: Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. Quote:Without doubt, incidents of flashing and masuturabation should be reported. But I wonder if the authorities who provide the 112 emergency number consider such incidents as emergencies.
I am confident that the 112 responders have various protocols and procedures that apply to different "emergency" situations. Those procedures would include sorting the reports according to urgency and type of response that is appropriate. If in doubt, people should call 112 and let them determine what the response should be.I wonder if the authorities who provide the 112 emergency number consider such incidents as emergencies.
I am confident that the 112 responders have various protocols and procedures that apply to different "emergency" situations. Those procedures would include sorting the reports according to urgency and type of response that is appropriate. If in doubt, people should call 112 and let them determine what the response should be.
I am confident that the 112 responders have various protocols and procedures that apply to different "emergency" situations. Those procedures would include sorting the reports according to urgency and type of response that is appropriate. If in doubt, people should call 112 and let them determine what the response should be.
Maybe other pilgrims can come confirm? I understand that it is not a police offence in Spain, maybe Portugal too?Flasher/Masturbater strikes again Camino Portuguese
Today Weds 15th outside Oliveira de Azemeis.
Hi, I'm a sole female & was exposed to a exhibitionist masturbater when I was walking from a country track in the way into Ol de Azemeis. No other walkers that I have spoken to had the same experience but they are male or in a couple. A fellow walker did see the man loitering about @ 20 mins before I walked by. Even though obviously unacceptable behaviour, I didn't feel endangered. I just laughed out loud & motioned he had a very small manhood....that was my defensive reaction. The best reaction in these situations is zero reaction.... pretend you don't even notice.
He definitely was lying in wait for a solo female walker & he definitely has a problem.
I phined the police station.... explained I was walking & could not take on another extra 30 mins 1 way out of my way to the station. I niavely thought the police would come to me, I could show them the location, give a description etc. TBH, once the police were informed I wasn't actually harmed they didn't understand why I was making the phone call. They took no information from me. They did apologize that this happened to me.
I'm not comfortable with the police reaction & I think I will walk to the station in Sao Joao de Madeira.
Just to say again, I am fine. I was too hungover to care enough about it & did not feel physically threatened. It distracted me from the hangover for an hour or so.
Also I walk/hike solo in many places & country. This never happened before. Don't let it discourage solo walkers
It’s a horrible thing to happen, I know. And I am sorry you had to put up with it.Flasher/Masturbater strikes again Camino Portuguese
Today Weds 15th outside Oliveira de Azemeis.
Hi, I'm a sole female & was exposed to a exhibitionist masturbater when I was walking from a country track in the way into Ol de Azemeis. No other walkers that I have spoken to had the same experience but they are male or in a couple. A fellow walker did see the man loitering about @ 20 mins before I walked by. Even though obviously unacceptable behaviour, I didn't feel endangered. I just laughed out loud & motioned he had a very small manhood....that was my defensive reaction. The best reaction in these situations is zero reaction.... pretend you don't even notice.
He definitely was lying in wait for a solo female walker & he definitely has a problem.
I phined the police station.... explained I was walking & could not take on another extra 30 mins 1 way out of my way to the station. I niavely thought the police would come to me, I could show them the location, give a description etc. TBH, once the police were informed I wasn't actually harmed they didn't understand why I was making the phone call. They took no information from me. They did apologize that this happened to me.
I'm not comfortable with the police reaction & I think I will walk to the station in Sao Joao de Madeira.
Just to say again, I am fine. I was too hungover to care enough about it & did not feel physically threatened. It distracted me from the hangover for an hour or so.
Also I walk/hike solo in many places & country. This never happened before. Don't let it discourage solo walkers
I have had one experience similar to this in my lifetime. I was in my apartment preparing for a journey the next morning. The woman who was accompanying me was outside, packing her car. I heard from her what a man in the next-door backyard was doing. She called the police and I went out to see for myself. It was after sunset and all that I could see was someone sitting on a piece of a log in the backyard. He seemed to have a growth on his head, which made it look like he had horns (clothes to hide his identity?). I couldn't really see what he was doing and I went back inside. Soon, the police arrived, with a dog that was taken to sniff around the next-door backyard, empty by then. In the circumstances, I felt somewhere between bewildered and amused. The guilty party, apparently the backdoor neighbour, never tried it again while I lived there.it has nothing to do with the Camino, you get perverts everywhere. Doesn’t it happen where you live?
As discussed in an earlier thread, there are 2 police systems in Portugal, and you're more likely to get a useful response out of the other one, the PSP. They look after "social" police issues like domestic violence. The GNR are the highway police. Motor vehicle infractions, mostly.The Police in Portugal are abbreviated under GNR.
This is not true.As discussed in an earlier thread, there are 2 police systems in Portugal, and you're more likely to get a useful response out of the other one, the PSP. They look after "social" police issues like domestic violence. The GNR are the highway police. Motor vehicle infractions, mostly.
Good to know. I had been told otherwise. I guess it's best to say, IF you have both, use PSP. Otherwise, the GNR. My apologies!This is not true.
GNR is not just highway patrol.
PSP is the police for urban areas.
GNR is the police for rural areas.
Some places have both GNR and PSP. Some places, like my hometown, only have GNR.
Now, inside GNR, you can have a department for traffic patrol called Brigada de Trânsito, but that is not the only purpose of GNR.
I think it has to do with the camino in that it’s a well known marked long distance walk often near to towns or within road driving distance that a lot of women walk. The camino is the only walk I’ve experienced flashers. And haven’t heard of other walks where men wait around doing this… but I may be wrong .It’s a horrible thing to happen, I know. And I am sorry you had to put up with it.
But it surprises me it surprises you….I say ‘you’ , I mean you all, on the forum, not just the OP.
it has nothing to do with the Camino, you get perverts everywhere. Doesn’t it happen where you live?
Plus the laws surrounding the flasher in these countries isn’t an offenceI think it has to do with the camino in that it’s a well known marked long distance walk often near to towns or within road driving distance that a lot of women walk. The camino is the only walk I’ve experienced flashers. And haven’t heard of other walks where men wait around doing this… but I may be wrong .
The best number to call in all these situations, anywhere in Europe, is 112, let the operators decide who best to contact to deal with the situation.Good to know. I had been told otherwise. I guess it's best to say, IF you have both, use PSP. Otherwise, the GNR. My apologies!
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