DARK SIDE OF MAGALUF
I was followed by gangs of men in Magaluf – they thought I was drunk and vulnerable…and tried to get me into a car
The local Government has made efforts to clean up Magaluf, with 'excess' laws introduced in 2020
“YOU are my last chance, do you want to kiss a little bit?”
It’s the early hours of the morning and I’m lying on a sun lounger on Magaluf beach in Majorca, pretending to be passed out.
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Two local men walk over and, seeming to notice my “drunk” state, one approaches me and tries it on.
I murmur a refusal and he walks off.
I think he’s given up but then things take a sinister turn.
Captured on secret cameras operated by TV crew stationed surreptitiously around the lounger, we notice him approach a third man.
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“She’s completely wasted,” he tells him in Spanish, before calling out “Let’s go for it!”.
The third man sits beside me on the sun lounger I’m slumped on, saying: “If you want, I can keep you company.”
This is my third consecutive night out in Magaluf, filming undercover for a new Channel 4 Untold documentary investigating the risk posed to young women on holiday here.
As Brits flock to the resort for the famous Halloween closing bash, it is clear I have been targeted by a group of men working together as I appear too drunk to consent.
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The arrival of the third male startled and genuinely scared me.
I had seen the first two together, but the sudden appearance of another — and having no idea at the time if they were together — was enough for me to signal security to get me out.
Brit tourist raped & robbed on Magaluf beach 'by street seller'
I leave the beach upset and frightened, feeling like I’ve experienced an orchestrated attempt to target drunk women alone on a night out in Magaluf.
Shockingly, this was not an isolated incident, but a pattern that emerged across my three nights in the resort town.
On my first night filming, I am watched for ten minutes by a group of men as I slump “drunk” outside a fast food shop.
When I get up to walk away, alone and stumbling, one of them says something to his friends before following me up the road.
He approaches me shortly after, asking if I’m OK.
I tell him I’m fine, swaying and slurring, and he immediately tells me he has a car.
Why would this man, who has been watching me for several minutes and can see that I am seemingly drunk, be trying to get me into a vehicle?
Before walking up the strip and being approached by this man, I had been sitting with Emily Birtley, 23, another undercover reporter who I’m filming with in Magaluf.
It was clear we were together, so this man knew where my friend was.
Despite this, he repeatedly asked why I was alone, where my mates were and suggested he could help me — all while telling me that I’m beautiful, and standing much closer than I was comfortable with.
I walk away and finally shake them off, but I can’t get rid of the feeling that I was being preyed upon by a clique of men who did not appear drunk and who seemed to be looking for a chance to strike.
It’s not just my reporting that suggests there is a dangerous trend of lone women being preyed on in Magaluf.
Last year alone, there were three alleged gang rapes there and in nearby areas.
We spoke to a number of women who had holidayed in Magaluf in recent years and been targeted.
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‘Guys grab you’
Matilda, 18, visited this summer with her pal Emmie, who is the same age — an experience that left them feeling “helpless and vulnerable”.
She said: “Guys grab you under your skirt or your dress and touch people’s private parts.
“I wish that people could travel to these places and party and have fun, but still feel safe.”
Another young woman, who we are calling Ashley, told us she ended up alone on the beach after her drink was spiked in Magaluf in July last year.
She explained: “I just started to feel worse and worse.
“I could barely speak, I could barely walk.”
Guys grab you under your skirt or your dress and touch people’s private parts
Matilda, 18
Most sexual assaults reported in the news appear to be perpetrated by tourists, something that was also reinforced by our investigation.
Across the three nights, Emily and I experienced repeated incidents of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and apparent attempts to take advantage of us.
The vast majority of approaches involved holidaymakers, mostly from the UK, Italy and France.
Calvia, the region Magaluf is situated in, has the highest number of reported sex assaults per inhabitant in the whole of Spain.
At a conference organised by one of Spain’s two main police forces in 2022, it was linked to a “tourism of excess” and a “particular sexist discourse” among the British.
The local Government has made efforts to clean up Magaluf, with “excess” laws introduced in 2020.
There is now a limit on alcohol deals and shops no longer sell booze throughout the night.
The rules also include fines for being topless and naked in public, plus the police presence has increased.
However, these efforts to get tough in the infamous party town have not brought down the number of sexual assaults.
In fact, reports have increased and cases are now at their highest levels ever.
It suggests there is a deep-rooted problem with the attitudes of some people and Magaluf’s culture.
In its most sinister form, this trend is risking the safety of young people coming on holiday here — often away from home for the first time with friends and no parents.
It leaves me wondering whether some groups of men choose Magaluf as a holiday destination with the main intention of taking advantage of the drunk, vulnerable women they often find there.
And I question if this predatory behaviour goes unchecked because it exists in an environment where attitudes towards women can still be problematic, and where harassment is seen as part of the experience.
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While that continues, so might these frightening encounters.
- Magaluf Undercover: Parties and Predators will be available to watch on Channel 4 streaming and Channel 4’s Untold Youtube channel on Thursday 31st October from 5pm
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