Police Investigate Attempted Kidnapping of 11-Year-Old Girl by Four North African Migrants in Barcelona Province

Catalan police are investigating an attempted kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl in the town of Torelló, north of Barcelona, after four North African men attempted to bundle her into a vehicle as she returned home from her local supermarket.

The incident occurred shortly after 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, when the girl went to buy yogurt at a store on Sant Fortià Square, only a few meters from her home and visible from her mother’s balcony.

According to reporting by El Caso, two of the men entered the supermarket as the girl arrived, while two others waited in a parked car outside. When she left the store, one of the men in the car called her over and offered her €10 if she would get in. When she refused, the two men from inside the shop came back out and joined in trying to persuade her.

The girl ran home screaming for help. Her mother, who had been watching from the balcony, managed to photograph the vehicle before the men drove away. The perpetrators allegedly shouted insults at the mother as they left. Police patrols were dispatched, but the suspects had already fled.

The girl suffered an anxiety attack after the incident and has since been afraid to leave the house. “She used to go out to play in the park, but now she doesn’t want to go outside,” her mother told El Caso, adding that the child has struggled to sleep and remains unsettled at school.

In an interview republished by Remix News, the mother said, “It was terrifying to see my little girl suddenly start to run, screaming. She burst into the house in tears, trembling. That night, she couldn’t sleep or eat. It was horrible.”

Investigators from the Mossos d’Esquadra have reviewed footage from the supermarket’s security cameras, confirming the presence of the suspects and their vehicle. Police say the four men have now been identified and located.

They are believed to be squatters living on Sant Josep Street, a property known locally for recurring disturbances that have alarmed nearby residents.

No arrests have yet been made, and the investigation remains open. The family has requested a restraining order to protect the girl.

The incident follows multiple cases of attempted kidnapping by foreign nationals across Europe in recent days. Two men were arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap a young girl in Córdoba last Monday, described by media outlets as being of “North African origin.” Neighbors who witnessed the scene intervened and managed to stop the attempted kidnapping before alerting the National Police, who quickly arrived and arrested the suspects nearby.

Similarly, a Gambian minor was arrested in Bologna, Italy, after allegedly attempting to kidnap a newborn baby from a stroller on Via Carracci, near the city’s high-speed train station, on Sunday, Oct. 19.

According to reports from Corriere della Sera, the 17-year-old, who is living in a community center for unaccompanied minors, suddenly reached into a stroller and tried to take the baby, despite the presence of both parents and several witnesses. With the help of passersby, the child’s parents managed to fend off the migrant teen who fled the scene, but was later arrested.