Alaró no longer entirely secure: Palma trial puts protection of the elderly at the center

Trial in Palma: An attack that Alaró can't shake off

The walk through Palma's Palace of Justice that morning is marked by a mix of normality and tension: businesspeople with briefcases, tourists strolling toward the port, and families making their way to the court. Not far away the Paseo Marítimo rushes by, but inside the courtrooms the matter concerns something that began far from the sea and promenade in a small mountain village – in Alaró.

The case dates back to 2018: at the restaurant Es Verger, seven suspects are said to have carried out a series of assaults in which two women, both well into their eighties, were left traumatized. The prosecution describes scenes hardly imaginable in a quiet community: the victims tied up, threatened with a knife, and an attempt to access a cash box reportedly holding around €50,000. The prosecutor is demanding a total of 45 years in prison for the defendants.

More than a crime: a social wake-up call

The raw violence is only the most immediate dimension of the case. The central question now being discussed in Alaró is: how vulnerable are our older neighbors in small communities, a matter also examined in When the Doorbell Becomes a Risk: How Palma Should Better Protect Seniors from Fake Technicians?

What is less visible in the files are the long shadows cast by such an event – restless nights, changed routes to the ATM, the quiet mistrust of strangers who suddenly appear in the bar. Some residents said they no longer keep cash openly at home and now time their bank visits more carefully. These are small adjustments, but they cost everyday life and a sense of normalcy.

Roles, resources, consequences

The indictment distinguishes between the perpetrators who carried out the acts and accomplices who are alleged to have helped with transporting and hiding evidence. Legally, Palma is now examining who bears which responsibility, an issue also seen in the Hidden Cameras North of Palma: Trial, Distrust and the Question of Our Protection case. Practically, this means witness statements, forensic reports and the question of whether the evidence will hold up. But even a verdict with harsh sentences does not replace the psychological and social restitution needed by the victims.

The outcome could send a signal for the community. A clear guilty verdict could have a deterrent effect, while lenient sentences would offer little consolation to those affected. At the same time, the case highlights deficiencies in prevention and support services – and the discussion must go beyond criminal sanctions.

Concrete steps: What would help now

From conversations with local business owners and neighbors, several pragmatic approaches can be collected that would have an effect beyond the court decision:

1. Strengthen local safety: better lighting in sensitive areas, visible cameras outside businesses, regular patrols by the local police in the evenings.

2. Prevention for businesses: training for staff of small hospitality businesses on how to behave during robberies, emergency plans, secure storage of cash and scheduled pick-up times by cash transport services.

3. Protection for older people: simple technical aids such as emergency buttons, neighborhood networks that organize regular shared trips to the bank, and more information about risk situations.

4. Social support: low-threshold counseling services for victims, psychological support and local contact points so that trauma does not fester in silence, needs underscored in pieces like After assault in Palma: Fine instead of prison — What remains for care home residents and staff?.

These are not miracle cures, but concrete measures that can make communities like Alaró more resilient. And they would be a sober counterpoint to the feeling that protection is solely the responsibility of the justice system.

Trial as an attempt to clarify responsibilities

The trial in Palma will last several days. For the two affected women, the trial opens another chapter—one that relatives and neighbors will carry with them for a long time. A court ruling can establish guilt and impose penalties, but it should also be an opportunity for municipalities, police and civil society to consider together: how do we want to live in the future without fear at our own front door?

The Es Verger case is more than a judicial matter – it is a mirror for the security questions of the island society. Judges can decide what is punishable; the community must decide how to protect its most vulnerable.