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Warning on camino frances

denisehy

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino francés (2018)
At first I want to apologize to post this so late.
I was on the caminho francês mainly on October 2018. On October 13rd, I was passing through Población de Campos. On the vilage exit there was a bifurcation on the caminho and right on the bifurcation there were a man (seemed to have around 65 years old) yelling about which road to take. He called me and I went to him to check what he wanted to tell me.
He asked me where I was going, told me about stoping in some nice place (I don't remember which place it is). As he had a hoarse voice I come closer to hear better. In the end, he tried to kissed me. At that moment I was terrified and just run away from him and took the road that looked easier at the moment for me.
The man did not tried to reach me but I was really frightened specially because there was nobody around. As I took the alternative road I walked for 5km and did not see anyone and it was really frightened for me.
Now, that I am not in the camino, I would say that I could get rid of him with my walking stick. But in the moment the only thing I could think of was to run away.
Please be aware of this.
 
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@denisehy welcome to the forum . I am sorry that you had this unpleasant experience and thank-you for posting this information.

Moderators will always add the comments below to any post of this nature.

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.
 
At first I want to apologize to post this so late.
I was on the caminho francês mainly on October 2018. On October 13rd, I was passing through Población de Campos. On the vilage exit there was a bifurcation on the caminho and right on the bifurcation there were a man (seemed to have around 65 years old) yelling about which road to take. He called me and I went to him to check what he wanted to tell me.
He asked me where I was going, told me about stoping in some nice place (I don't remember which place it is). As he had a hoarse voice I come closer to hear better. In the end, he tried to kissed me. At that moment I was terrified and just run away from him and took the road that looked easier at the moment for me.
The man did not tried to reach me but I was really frightened specially because there was nobody around. As I took the alternative road I walked for 5km and did not see anyone and it was really frightened for me.
Now, that I am not in the camino, I would say that I could get rid of him with my walking stick. But in the moment the only thing I could think of was to run away.
Please be aware of this.


thanks for posting,Denisehy! Have registered the area in my brain for future caution!
 
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Running away was a good option for you as you successfully evaded him. There is a saying about a wise person, "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day" I would change that to "She who runs away, lives to walk another day!" Good for you for taking care of yourself so well. And thank you for posting this warning. It concerned me to read these type of posts before I walked but it also helped me to prepare myself. I learned to say, "Don't Touch!" in Spanish and once, when I felt unsure of an elderly man's intentions as he approached me outside of Sarria, I used it very emphatically before getting out of there. He may have been confused or he may have been stopped in his tracks. Not sure, but I felt safer being forewarned.
 
@denisehy welcome to the forum . I am sorry that you had this unpleasant experience and thank-you for posting this information.

Moderators will always add the comments below to any post of this nature.

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.
Excellent advice thanks
 
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At first I want to apologize to post this so late.
I was on the caminho francês mainly on October 2018. On October 13rd, I was passing through Población de Campos. On the vilage exit there was a bifurcation on the caminho and right on the bifurcation there were a man (seemed to have around 65 years old) yelling about which road to take. He called me and I went to him to check what he wanted to tell me.
He asked me where I was going, told me about stoping in some nice place (I don't remember which place it is). As he had a hoarse voice I come closer to hear better. In the end, he tried to kissed me. At that moment I was terrified and just run away from him and took the road that looked easier at the moment for me.
The man did not tried to reach me but I was really frightened specially because there was nobody around. As I took the alternative road I walked for 5km and did not see anyone and it was really frightened for me.
Now, that I am not in the camino, I would say that I could get rid of him with my walking stick. But in the moment the only thing I could think of was to run away.
Please be aware of this.
I have hiked El Camino Frances on three different occasions and on each of them I have seen old men “pilgrims “ coming on to young female hikers, trying to engratiate themselves with their smarmy behavior. ( I wonder if their stay-at-home wives know their true mission. ) My advise is to not give them even the slightest encouragement unless you want them following you down the trail like a stray dog for miles, to the door of your albergue.
 

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