A Cork grandmother who was knocked to the ground, dragged on the street and kicked in the face while on holiday in Spain says she is still dealing with the trauma of the violent robbery - five years on. Anna Kent from Cork city said she is reminded of the terrifying ordeal every time she looks in the mirror. Despite it being years since her group of friends were targetted by violent thugs while on a trip to Torremolinos, she still deals with the pain and suffering of her injuries and is left paying out of pocket for ongoing treatment.
Anna told CorkBeo how she is still in pain and has struggled to afford to get treatment for horrific injuries to her face and mouth, as her insurance could not pay out without an official statement from local Spanish police on the assault - something which Anna says police will not give her. She has been left with a lisp, has a medical plate fitted in her mouth, has ongoing trouble with a damaged palate and still needs more treatment for her injuries which she is finding difficult to pay for. She said that that one terrible night 'took her smile away.
' "It's horrible," she said, "What a memory, each time I look in the mirror." Anna made contact with CorkBeo to tell her own experience of begging police to help her after being violently attacked at the Costa Del Sol holiday resort after reading about a dad who was knocked unconscious and robbed in Malaga this summer. She said that, like the Cork dad who 'felt like a nuisance' when trying to report the attack to police, she and her group of friends were "not taken seriously" when they attempted to file an official report following the assault.
Like many other tourists who have been unfortunate enough to be targetted by violent thieves abroad, Anna agrees that it seems as if 'the police don't want any record of violence against tourists in the area.' Read More: 'We felt like a nuisance' Cork man brutally attacked on family holiday says Spanish police refused to take report Read More: Airlines shrink carry on luggage again - Don't get hit with extra charges this summer In July 2019, Anna was in the busy tourist mecca of Torremolinos when she and two friends were set upon by a large group of thugs who attempted to steal their handbags. In the scuffle, Anna was pushed to the ground, dragged along the street by the handle of her bag and kicked in the face in what was a brutal and traumatic assault on the then-60-year-old.
It was the night before the group of women were due to fly home to Cork. Anna said that police on beat in the town told the Irish women to "to go home" to their hotel after the incident. "It was horrific," she said, recalling the terrifying ordeal, "I was dragged and the teeth were kicked out of my mouth, I was covered in blood, there was blood pouring out of me, "There were teeth sticking straight out of my mouth.
" "It was two Spanish girls who stopped to help us and waited with us for police. We were shaking and scared and told them we had just been robbed. We tried to give a statement to the police and they told us: 'go, go home now.
'" Anna added: "My friends were saying 'what about Anna's mouth?' - And we could see the gang who did it to us, they were waiting on the steps, we pointed them out to police." Anna said that she felt as if the police were familiar with the men involved in the attack and said they "exchanged words" with the group after the women pointed them out as being their assailants. Anna said they were escorted to a taxi rank to wait for an ambulance crew, who took her name and date of birth.
The women were told to go to the local police station in the morning to give an official statement. But when Anna arrived, in immense pain, at the station the next morning, she said she and her friends were made "feel like a joke." The assault had occurred in the early hours of the morning.
Anna and her friends were due to fly home at 4.30 pm - just hours after being attacked. "The police said they had no record of any assault.
One officer kept saying he didn't speak English. He wouldn't allow us bring a local woman in who helps tourists translate at police stations, they said it had to be a court-ordered translator. "A panic came over me.
I was in agony and I felt like they were mocking me." Anna said that after spending hours in the station without being able to get the help she needed, she had no choice but to fly home in excruciating pain and rush to the hospital in Cork for treatment. Her husband brought her straight to CUH after landing, where Anna said the staff were brilliant in looking after her.
She had internal bleeding, serious bruising and devastating damage to her mouth and jaw. After seeing specialists and being referred to dental experts, she was told the damage amounted to over €12,000 in treatment - an amount she simply could not afford. "I had premium insurance, but I couldn't get it paid out without showing that the assault had been reported to local police.
I did go to the Gardaí when I came home, but the Spanish police would not acknowledge that a grandmother had been assaulted. It's not the insurance company's fault, they are just doing their job, "But I couldn't afford more than €800 in treatment, and I still need more. I've done so much trying to chase this case, I've written to embassies, TDs.
I've even written to the King and Queen of Spain just for anyone to listen to me, "At one stage, the police sent a letter asking me to come back over to the station in person, I couldn't afford it. It was unreal." A spokesperson for The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of Anna's case and has provided consular assistance, however, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.
Anna said: "I paid €800 for this silly plate, it's horrible. What a memory, each time I look in the mirror." "It's been five years and I'm still dealing with this.
It's been traumatic. I'm not blaming the country at all," she said, but added that she feels like the more tourists come out and tell of experiences with assaults and Spanish police the more she feels it is "obvious" there is a problem. "My smile is gone, they took my smile away that night," she said, "And I'm left dealing with the ongoing pain, trauma and trouble.
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