Redaccion
“Once the facts have been recognized, there is no alternative but to remove from the city’s streets those who, due to their behavior, have not proven to be deserving of this recognition,” explained Mayor Barcala
The mayor thanked the Augustinian order for “many years united with Alicante and their honesty in addressing such a delicate issue, in which many should not be judged for the behavior of one individual”
Alicante, April 12, 2025. The Government team of the City Council of Alicante has decided, in response to the social alarm generated, to remove the name of the avenue dedicated to Father Ángel Escapa, an Augustinian in the La Albufereta area, after two cases of sexual abuse against students of the Agustinos school in the city, attributed to this religious figure in the late seventies, were recognized.
“Out of prudence, we waited for the explicit recognition of the facts by the Augustinian community, given that there had been no condemnation for sexual abuse,” explained Mayor Luis Barcala of Alicante this Saturday. “And once the sexual abuses have been recognized, there is no choice but to remove from the streets of Alicante those who, due to their behavior, have not proven to be deserving of this distinction,” he added.
“Without diminishing the merits that were taken into account for the recognition of Ángel Escapa at the time,” Barcala added, “the behavior of those publicly recognized by the people of Alicante with a space or a street must remain impeccable in all respects, and this recognition is incompatible in this case with socially reprehensible behaviors and alarm-generating such as sexual abuse.”
“For all these reasons, the city of Alicante will remove the public recognition of Ángel Escapa from its streets,” concluded the mayor, who also wanted to thank “the great work carried out” by the Augustinian order “for many years united with the city of Alicante” as well as “their honesty in addressing such a painful and delicate issue, in which it would never be fair to judge many for the conduct of one individual.”
The decision of the Government team to remove the name of Father Ángel Escapa from the streets was personally communicated this Saturday by Mayor Barcala to the management of the Agustinos School in Alicante.
