A crazed knifeman, suspected of randomly attacking a man at a popular Spanish airport, is believed to be homeless and living in the terminals. The 45-year-old Salvadoran was remanded in custody over the horror attack amid a worrying rough sleeping epidemic plaguing much of Spain. The attack took place at Majorca’s Palma Airport on Tuesday morning, where police were urgently called after reports of a man being stabbed in the neck in the arrivals area. The victim, a young Argentinian, suffered a wound a few centimetres from the artery, requiring several stitches.
Homelessness has become a significant issue across Spain, with more than 400 rough sleepers reportedly taking over Madrid’s Barajas Airport. The suspect, who is homeless and thought to sleep at the holiday airport, was heroically stopped by security guards who saved the young man’s life, according to police. The attacker is being investigated on suspicion of attempted homicide, as confirmed by Majorcan based lawyer Ivan Garcia Lopez, who is representing the suspect. The suspect claimed not to remember anything, allegedly going berserk after his phone was stolen, leading to the violent attack.
In recent months, several Spanish airports have been overrun by homeless camps, crime, and filthy insect infestations, prompting traveller warnings and public outcry. Madrid airport had to be fumigated for bed bugs after passengers and staff reported being covered in bites. The capital’s airport, Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas, has seen a hidden city grow over the past decade, with urine puddles, crack pipes, and nomads under the roofs. Workers at Malaga airport have also reported itchy red bumps, denying any problem despite insects climbing the walls near departure gates. The rough sleepers at the airports have faced brazen violence and drug use, with some sleeping in terminals for up to seven years, creating dangerous and unsanitary conditions for travellers.
