The Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested a man, who has suffered serious injuries, in an apartment in the Barcelona neighborhood of Horta, in what is being investigated whether it could be a case of vicarious violence. After the attack, the man jumped off the balcony, which caused him several injuries, which were not serious, according to what he said. El Periódico de Catalunya and has confirmed to EL PAÍS.
The attack occurred in a flat in the Horta neighborhood after three in the morning, when the residents of the building called the Mossos d’Esquadra to report that they heard screams coming from one of the homes in the building. Once inside, the police verified that he had a knife, while the minor’s mother was also in the house. The child has been transferred in serious condition to a hospital, where he is recovering from the injuries suffered.
The child’s father jumped off the balcony of the house after attacking the minor. The fall, of about six meters, did not cause serious injuries, although he was taken to a health center, according to police sources. There he is in police custody, detained, waiting for him to recover so that his statement can be taken.
The Mossos d’Esquadra keep all hypotheses open in relation to the attack and are investigating whether it could be a case of vicarious violence, in which the detainee would seek to harm the minor’s mother by attacking her son. Police sources point out that it is premature to move forward if the attack is framed in vicarious violence, while waiting to know the circumstances of the attack and interrogate the detainee and the victims.
Vicarious violence is a term coined by psychologist and forensic expert Sonia Vaccaro in 2012 that determines the damage that violent men exert on women through another person, especially their sons and daughters.
