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| Mounted police to patrol Spain's Camino de Santiago amid security fears | Mounted police to patrol Spain's Camino de Santiago amid security fears |
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| For hundreds of years, pilgrims have trekked along Spain’s Camino de Santiago to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, believed to be the final resting place of St James. | |
| But this year, pilgrims and hikers have a police escort for part of the way, with a team of five Guardia Civil police officers on horseback covering up to 18 miles per day of the ancient Catholic pilgrimage. | But this year, pilgrims and hikers have a police escort for part of the way, with a team of five Guardia Civil police officers on horseback covering up to 18 miles per day of the ancient Catholic pilgrimage. |
| The officers are intended to offer protection in areas of the route where patrol cars can’t reach, amid several reports of harassment and threats, and the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of an American pilgrim in early April. | The officers are intended to offer protection in areas of the route where patrol cars can’t reach, amid several reports of harassment and threats, and the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of an American pilgrim in early April. |
| The Guardia Civil has stepped up efforts to liaise with walkers as well as the hostels and restaurants that cater to them. | The Guardia Civil has stepped up efforts to liaise with walkers as well as the hostels and restaurants that cater to them. |
| Local authorities want to address security concerns that could prove damaging in an area that thrives on tourism generated by the pilgrimage. “The camino is fundamental to us,” said Astorga mayor, Victorina Alonso. “There are a lot of pilgrims that come to see us and they are the best ambassadors for us.” | |
| My personal feeling is that this is not something new, but something that people feel more free to talk about now | My personal feeling is that this is not something new, but something that people feel more free to talk about now |
| Four months have passed since Denise Thiem from Arizona was last seen in the town of Astorga. She was walking along the Camino Francés, the most popular pilgrimage route to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Various volunteer-led search expeditions have turned up no trace of the 42-year-old. | |
| Her disappearance has prompted others to come forward with their own stories of being threatened or harassed along the route. In June, Guardia Civil officers said they were looking for a man who was believed to have attacked an American and a Dutch pilgrim along the route. The man had pulled up to the women in his car, said the Guardia Civil, assaulted one and tried to force her into his car. The women were able to fight him off with their walking sticks. | Her disappearance has prompted others to come forward with their own stories of being threatened or harassed along the route. In June, Guardia Civil officers said they were looking for a man who was believed to have attacked an American and a Dutch pilgrim along the route. The man had pulled up to the women in his car, said the Guardia Civil, assaulted one and tried to force her into his car. The women were able to fight him off with their walking sticks. |
| Thiem’s disappearance seemed to have done little to discourage people from making the pilgrimage, said Ivar Rekve, who manages one of the pilgrimage’s largest English-speaking forums. “People have it in the back of their mind, but it’s not changing the decision of if they should go or not go.” | Thiem’s disappearance seemed to have done little to discourage people from making the pilgrimage, said Ivar Rekve, who manages one of the pilgrimage’s largest English-speaking forums. “People have it in the back of their mind, but it’s not changing the decision of if they should go or not go.” |
| Related: Warning to Camino de Santiago pilgrims after female walker disappears | Related: Warning to Camino de Santiago pilgrims after female walker disappears |
| Last year, more than 235,000 people were certified as having completed the Camino. With some 137,000 having completed the route so far this year, authorities said 2015 is poised to be a record-breaking year. | Last year, more than 235,000 people were certified as having completed the Camino. With some 137,000 having completed the route so far this year, authorities said 2015 is poised to be a record-breaking year. |
| Rekve said he had seen a few posts from people comforted by the sight of the Guardia Civil officers along the route. “But I don’t know how many people they have out there walking, it’s not a big thing,” he said. | Rekve said he had seen a few posts from people comforted by the sight of the Guardia Civil officers along the route. “But I don’t know how many people they have out there walking, it’s not a big thing,” he said. |
| Earlier this year, Rekve issued a warning for pilgrims not to walk alone on the section of the route where Thiem disappeared, the first such warning he had issued in 10 years. The result, said Rekve, is that many people have become more comfortable about sharing their negative experiences of the pilgrimage. “More people came forward talking about what happened to them. My personal feeling is that this is not something new, but something that people feel more free to talk about now.” | Earlier this year, Rekve issued a warning for pilgrims not to walk alone on the section of the route where Thiem disappeared, the first such warning he had issued in 10 years. The result, said Rekve, is that many people have become more comfortable about sharing their negative experiences of the pilgrimage. “More people came forward talking about what happened to them. My personal feeling is that this is not something new, but something that people feel more free to talk about now.” |
| Now, he said, it was up to Spanish authorities to respond adequately. Rekve pointed to the conversations he had had with those who had felt harassed or threatened along the route. “I’ll say: ‘Did you report it?’ And they’ll say no, because they don’t know where to go or who to talk to,” he said. “They’re in small villages where it’s the local police and there’s the language problem. One thing they could do better is make it easier to report these things.” | Now, he said, it was up to Spanish authorities to respond adequately. Rekve pointed to the conversations he had had with those who had felt harassed or threatened along the route. “I’ll say: ‘Did you report it?’ And they’ll say no, because they don’t know where to go or who to talk to,” he said. “They’re in small villages where it’s the local police and there’s the language problem. One thing they could do better is make it easier to report these things.” |
| Related: Rites of way: behind the pilgrimage revival | Related: Rites of way: behind the pilgrimage revival |
| Spanish police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation into Thiem’s disappearance. Instead, much of what is known about Thiem’s last movements were pieced together by friends. | Spanish police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation into Thiem’s disappearance. Instead, much of what is known about Thiem’s last movements were pieced together by friends. |
| On 5 April, Thiem had breakfast and attended mass with an Italian pilgrim before the two parted ways at midday. That was the last anyone saw of her. A day earlier, she had emailed a British friend, telling him she planned on walking west towards the village of El Ganso. | On 5 April, Thiem had breakfast and attended mass with an Italian pilgrim before the two parted ways at midday. That was the last anyone saw of her. A day earlier, she had emailed a British friend, telling him she planned on walking west towards the village of El Ganso. |
| Last month, Spain’s interior minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, said he was confident Thiem’s case would be resolved quickly. “There are several different leads and lines of investigation and I can’t say more,” he told the local newspaper Diario de León. “But we have reasons to hope that some of these leads will bear fruit.” | Last month, Spain’s interior minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, said he was confident Thiem’s case would be resolved quickly. “There are several different leads and lines of investigation and I can’t say more,” he told the local newspaper Diario de León. “But we have reasons to hope that some of these leads will bear fruit.” |
| Weeks later, when nothing new had emerged, Thiem’s parents appealed directly to the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy. “We are writing to implore you to tell us what Spanish police think happened to our daughter,” wrote Dalia and Seng Thiem in the letter. “Is there any reason to hope that she is alive?” | Weeks later, when nothing new had emerged, Thiem’s parents appealed directly to the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy. “We are writing to implore you to tell us what Spanish police think happened to our daughter,” wrote Dalia and Seng Thiem in the letter. “Is there any reason to hope that she is alive?” |
| They urged Rajoy to intervene, noting the scant information they had received from the Spanish police and the US embassy in Madrid. “We are weary and exhausted from the mental and emotional strain of not knowing what happened to Denise,” they wrote. “We implore you to direct the Minister of the Interior to communicate directly with us.” | They urged Rajoy to intervene, noting the scant information they had received from the Spanish police and the US embassy in Madrid. “We are weary and exhausted from the mental and emotional strain of not knowing what happened to Denise,” they wrote. “We implore you to direct the Minister of the Interior to communicate directly with us.” |
| Last week, Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate John McCain added his voice to those pushing to solve Thiem’s case. In a letter to Rajoy, he asked him to consider inviting the FBI to help in the investigation. “While I understand there may be domestic sensitivities involved in doing so, the FBI has significant resources that it can bring to bear to aid the investigation and provide additional support to the search,” said McCain. | Last week, Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate John McCain added his voice to those pushing to solve Thiem’s case. In a letter to Rajoy, he asked him to consider inviting the FBI to help in the investigation. “While I understand there may be domestic sensitivities involved in doing so, the FBI has significant resources that it can bring to bear to aid the investigation and provide additional support to the search,” said McCain. |