A violent axe attack on Monday in the southern Spanish town of Montefrío left two women in critical condition and another victim injured, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal has accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the state broadcaster Televisión Española (TVE) of suppressing information about the incident.
The attack, which took place in broad daylight, saw a 45-year-old Moroccan man accused of assaulting three people in the street with an axe, including elderly victims who sustained severe head injuries. Two of the victims remain in intensive care at a hospital in Granada, while a third victim suffered less serious injuries.
The suspect, described in several reports as being of Moroccan origin, was arrested following a police manhunt, with reports indicating he was located in a nearby rural area after attempting to flee the scene.
La Bandera reported on Wednesday that the suspect made a statement while in custody, claiming he had “heard the call of Allah” and that “all Christians must die,” suggesting a terror motive to the attack.
In the immediate aftermath, residents said the attack was the culmination of weeks of rising insecurity. Locals described a pattern of nightly thefts and escalating disorder, with one resident saying the situation had become “out of control” and that authorities had failed to respond adequately.
El Debate reported that a local WhatsApp group formed in response to the perceived lack of action grew rapidly, with hundreds of residents joining to share concerns and demand stronger security measures. Demonstrations and protests followed, as residents voiced frustration over what they see as a breakdown in public safety.
Dos mujeres luchan por su vida y un hombre ha sido herido a hachazos en Montefrío. TVE lo oculta. Sánchez lo silencia. Saben que si los españoles conocen la verdad, este Gobierno tiene los días contados. https://t.co/oQ3jkETkq5
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) April 8, 2026The incident quickly took on national political significance after Abascal, leader of the right-wing Vox party, accused authorities of deliberately minimizing the story. Writing on X, he claimed that “two women are fighting for their lives and a man has been injured with an axe in Montefrío,” adding that “TVE is hiding it” and that the government was attempting to silence the truth.
“TVE is hiding it. Sánchez is silencing it. They know that if the Spanish people learn the truth, this Government has its days numbered,” he wrote.
Criticism has centered in particular on the role of TVE, Spain’s publicly funded broadcaster. Opposition voices and some media outlets allege that the attack did not feature in major national news bulletins, despite the severity of the incident and the public reaction locally.
However, coverage of the attack did appear on at least one TVE program, which reported on the violence and the protests in Montefrío, though without providing details about the suspect’s nationality.
