All victims of La Rambla attacks to be recognized even after deadline

All those who suffered from the August 2017 terrorist attacks on Barcelona's La Rambla and in Cambrils, in southern Catalonia, will be recognized if they request to be so, even after the deadline set for August this year, marking the first anniversary of the events.

The Spanish home affairs ministry confirmed this to mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, who had demanded an extension of the deadline arguing that victims find it hard to meet the time limit due to bureaucracy or ignorance of the procedure.

In order to ask for the recognition of the status of victim, psychological treatment has to be carried to term. In some cases, this can take much longer than a year.

So far, 68 people have been already been admitted for the status of victim.

According to the Spanish executive, there have been 223 requests for financial aid and compensation, 83 of which have already been accepted so far.

Victims from other countries

On August 17 and 18 last year, 16 people lost their lives and some 150 more were injured. Yet, so far, the relatives of two of the fatalities have not requested any compensation.

 

 

Ten of the people stricken down during the attacks were foreigners, as many of the injured.

The Spanish home affairs ministry has stated that it searched for the home addresses of the casualties and the injured through consulates and hospitals. They sent letters to the 52 they found, informing them about the compensations and financial aid they could claim. 

How the events unfolded

On the afternoon of August 17, a van drove down one of the main streets in the center of Barcelona, turned sharply along one of the roads alongside the pedestrian promenade La Rambla, sped up, and crashed into the crowds. In the midst of the tourist season, the van drove 600 meters from one side to the other along La Rambla.

Fourteen people died, and amid the chaos, the driver stepped out of the van and escaped on foot. About an hour later, he killed a young man, and stole his car to flee the city.

In the early hours of the next day, a car ran over six people in Cambrils, a coastal town 120 km from the Catalan capital. One individual lost their life, and the police shot the five alleged terrorists running people over in Cambrils.

The police linked both events, and a few days later they found the driver of La Rambla and shot him dead.