This part in italics is from a web page, but 're-translated' from the poor original
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Reporting crimes by telephone(in Spanish, English, French and Italian)
902 102 112 (not a free call)
From 9 am to 9 pm (Monday to Sunday) except for Italian when it's 9 am until 3 pm)
Only the following crimes can be reported by telephone:
Burglary (i.e. breaking in, damaging and/or stealing from a property)
Theft:-
in public places (including pick-pocketing)
of/or from a vehicle
of documents and/or items
Loss of documents or other items
Criminal Damage
But in cases of robbery (violent theft from a person) or when the perpetratorm is known, reports can only be made at a police station (National Police or Guardis Civil, never Policia Local).
Crimes/offences requring immediate police response, those involving crimes against persons, and generally speaking, those requiring special handling, shall have to be reported at a police station.
Once the information has been given on the telephone, complainants, must go to the NATIONAL POLICE station (never Guardia Civil or Policia Local) which they have nominated, within 48 hours to sign it as correct. That is when the actual crime report is made, if you do not sign it, no report exists.
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N.B. Be aware that the report you sign will be in Spanish.
Unfortunately the reports quiet often contain errors, i.e. the translator has misunderstood or made a mistake.
When you sign you are confirming that the report is correct. Under Spanish law it is an offences to sign it as correct if it is not. I have seen a reports which said the theft had occurred from a motor home, when it was burglary at a villa; that a watch was stolen when it was a pendant, and many other similar errors. To find a report which is 100% accurate in every respect, is the exception rather than the rule.
This is a problem with the system, which I have been trying for a couple of years to get resolved.
At present, if there is no translator at the police station to assist you (I only know of one police station where there are translators throughout the whole year, but there may be a few others) so you may need to take someone able to speak Spanish with you.
If when you make a claim your insurance company tells you the report is incorrect, I would suggest that you write to the police in Spain making a complaint. It is only if the problem is brought to their attention that the police can be aware a problem exists. At present victims are often told just to sign, even without trying to read it, as the police officers believe the reports must be correct. Never accept that it will be 100% correct, at the very least, check what you can, names, telephone numbers, addresses etc.and do not sign until it is correct.
This message was last edited by johnzx on 15/01/2014.
This message was last edited by johnzx on 15/01/2014.
This message was last edited by johnzx on 15/01/2014.
This message was last edited by johnzx on 15/01/2014.