GUILTY Spain - Denise Thiem, 40, U.S. traveler, Astorga, 4 April 2015

[ZaZara]

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2464345/0/mujer-denuncia/intento-secuestro/dos-hombres-astorga/


Video (in Spanish) with the woman who escaped the attack on Saturday.
Her name is Covadonga. She was running near the village when a car halted next to her.

She tells that she could not see the face of one perp because it was hidden under a hoodie.

She describes the two men as young and they spoke with an accent from Eastern Europe.


BBM

Oh for all those benefits of the Schengen zone and the European Union ...... thieves and other criminals included.



I'll add drugs, alcohol or forbidden substances in general to the list.
This woman Covadonga seems tall, and sportly. Denise is small and carried a backpack.
If the cases are related, these perps are picking their victims very randomly.

 

[ZaZara]

INVESTIGATORS SEPARATE THE CASE OF THE MISSING PILGRIM AND THE ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING


Diario de León.es
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias...-caso-peregrina-intento-secuestro_980086.html


After two men tried on Saturday to abduct a local woman from Santa Catalina de Somoza who was jogging in an area near the Camino de Santiago, the National Police and Guardia Civil have put into motion the efforts to clarify what happened and to find the two men. At the moment, and according to sources near the Subdelegación del Gobierno yesterday, the investigation is ongoing and "a priori" the incident of Saturday 'is unrelated to the disappearance of the American pilgrim, Denise Thiem" according to the explanation from same sources, who stated that "there is no reasonable indication to link the two cases", mainly because, according to official sources, "the profile of the victims is different."

The Subdelegación also clarifies that what happened on Saturday in Santa Catalina de Somoza "is a kidnapping attempt, ruling out rape because no attempt of a sexual assault occurred." The truth is that there is concern in the area that has grown following the recent events, because it is not the first time that "some uncertainty in this area occurs" as reported by some neighbors.

Official sources argued in the follow up of what happened that the National Police and Guardia Civil are working together to clarify the facts, stating that "all lines of investigation are open and no hypothesis is discarded." In this regard, they said that "for the time the level of vigilance will not be raised in this part of the Camino, where supposedly have been recorded more cases of harassment, precisely to avoid interfering in the investigation."

However, as reported by the victim herself, CAF, two men tried to attack her, who made gestures, "to ask me a question or consult about some matter." But she preferred to maintain a distance and not to get too near. Although one of the individuals managed to grab her by the arm, this distance allowed to escape, run off and hide in some bushes in the area.

Caution

For her part, the Mayor of Astorga, Victorina Alonso municipality for the parish of Santa Catalina de Somoza yesterday called for "caution" and recommended "not to go alone through the remote areas." Still the councilor also launched a reassuring message, "one must not cause alarm"

BBM


The woman ran off and managed to escape! There is no way knowing what would have happened if she had not been so fortunate. I wonder how they can discard rape? Maybe only in the legal sense, if it wasn't there, it wasn't there, but as long as these guys are not caught, no one can be certain about their plans and intentions and all that they may have done already.

Profile so far, from various sources:

two young men
one hides his head under a hoodie
the other who went after the woman was wearing military trousers and boots
speaking with an accent from Eastern Europe
old car, small, dark color, dirty

they must be familiar with the area for some reason (work, crime, begging)

 

[ZaZara]

WAS DENISE THIEM ABDUCTED ?


La Voz de Galicia
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...raptado-denise-thiem/0003_201505G20P12991.htm

The investigation into the disappearance of American pilgrim Thiem Denise, aged 41 and with oriental features, continues without a breakthrough for weeks now. 46 Days ago this woman vanished without trace while hiking the Camino de Santiago. Everything suggests that on April 5 she left at noon from Astorga (León) towards the town of El Ganso, less than 15 kilometers from the maragata capital. The National Police and Guardia Civil have searched every day with dogs, helicopters and dozens of policemen supported by volunteers who have combed every centimeter of this stretch of the Camino. What happened to Denise? The investigation has not ruled out any possibility. Maybe she had an accident or maybe she met with a violent ending. Nor an abduction is discarded, an option that has gained strength after a local woman from the area declared last weekend that two men tried to kidnap her.

Officially, the disappearance of Denise Thiem and the recent attempted abduction of a local woman are not related. That is what the Prefectures in Leon mantain, who see no reasonable grounds to link the two cases because the profile of the victims is different.

In the region of Maragatería, however, many people do see the relationship between the strange disappearance of the pilgrim and the attempted abduction. The incident occurred in Santa Catalina de Somoza, one hamlet near Astorga just halfway between the town and El Ganso, the village where Denise Thiem planned to spend the night as she told a friend in an email. The pilgrim was last seen alive in Astorga. She was in the company of an Italian traveler who was unable to provide much information to the investigation. According to him, Thiem intended to go to mass and then leave, around 12 hours [mid day], for El Ganso. If she stuck to her plans, she would have had to pass through Santa Catalina de Somoza or at least hike this stretch of the Camino.

Other incidents of harassment

The indications that the US pilgrim might have suffered some kind of attack are also supported by other alleged cases of pilgrims who were supposedly harassed and even pilgrims robbed in this area of the Camino. No official complaints were made, but there are testimonials in social networks and among the locals.

The story of CAF, the woman from Santa Catalina de Somoza whom they tried to kidnap last Saturday, is frightening. As she reported to Diario de León, that day she went for a walk and to jog like so many other days. In an area near the Camino and a rest area for pilgrims area she came upon a small dark car in which there were two men. "He made a gesture as if they had a question and would like to ask me something," she told. Something roused her suspicion and she was careful not to get too near. Suddenly, one of the men got out and when the frightened woman tried to flee, he grabbed her so tightly by an arm that this left her with bruises.

That did not end the scare. C.A.F. ran away and hid in some bushes. While one of the two men went looking for her, the other remained in the car. She managed to slip away and when she was certain that she was no longer in danger, she was able to call for help. The National Police and Guardia Civil rushed to the scene to secure evidence. They also searched for the two alleged kidnappers. They found nothing, but they are still working together on the case, as in the disappearance of Denise Thiem.

The desperation of the family

The brother of American pilgrim, Cedric Thiem, traveled from USA to Spain when he stopped receiving messages from Denise. He spent about two weeks in Astorga searching, putting up posters with the image of the missing woman and accompanying police and volunteers in the search raids they made for days. Gradually, despair was taking its toll on him and a week ago he returned home, as he explained, in order to be with their parents and care for them in these difficult times.

However, the search continues. US family and friends of Denise Thiem remain very active and have started an intense campaign to make the case of the pilgrim reach the House and Senate in their country. Meanwhile, in the social networks, pilgrims from around the world collaborate exchanging information and photos that may clarify what might have happened to this woman of whom so far there is not a single trace.


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

DEATH AND VIOLENCE DURING PILGRIMAGES TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
MISSING ON THE JACOBEAN WAY

DOM Radio.de
http://www.domradio.de/themen/sozia...walt-beim-pilgern-nach-santiago-de-compostela


They were on their way then. Cases of death and violence on the Camino de Santiago are known since the Middle Ages. During those days highwaymen lay in wait for pilgrims; in the present, there now is a new, troubling dimension.

The pilgrim community of the Camino de Santiago is worried. Since early April, the North American pilgrim Denise Thiem has been missing. The last sign of life of the 41-year-old comes from Astorga. The city in northwestern Spain is a transit station for Jacobean pilgrims in one of the most beautiful and secluded mountain landscapes of the pilgrimage route, the Montes de Leon with the legendary "Iron Cross", the Cruz de Ferro.

Pilgrim Thiem never arrived on the roof of the Camino.

Situated at over 1,500 meters the cross marks the roof of the pilgrimage; it is the highest point on the main route between the Pyrenees and Santiago de Compostela. Denise Thiem never arrived that high, but had planned before - like all pilgrims - to take the path there. This was also apparent from her last mail to friends in the US.

More kidnapping attempts on the Camino

Before you reach the ascending trails into the mountains, the Camino de Santiago leads through a lonely area with bushes and heath and the village of Santa Catalina de Somoza. It is there that last weekend a local walker barely escaped a kidnapping. The woman noticed, according to the police, near a resting place for pilgrims a small dark car. Inside there were thus two men who tried to flag herdown, as if they wanted to ask her something.


[...]

What happened to Denise Thiem provides police so far with a mystery. Despite intensive search activities with the help of police units, sniffer dogs, helicopters and teams of volunteers no trace has been found so far. This has parallels with the case of Manfred Reyle. The then 73-year-old priest from Tübingen disappeared in August 2011 on the way up to the border pass of Somport, the second most important Pyrenean transit for pilgrims.

Also then, an extensive search was held, which ended without any result. In the mountain area around the Cruz de Ferro, the police has now strengthened its presence.

Whether Reyle and Thiem fell victim to violent crime, has not yet been proven, but it is probable. In the case of the American pilgrim with her oriental appearance a sexual assault may have occurred, it is suspected. The hopes of finding her alive are - despite the "Help us find Denise" Facebook page - rather low.

Pilgrims should not walk alone

Does an heightened risk exist for single walkers on the Camino now? After all, the route passes in many instances through remote, sparsely populated areas. Francisco Esteban Palomo, a Spanish Camino expert who is a member of the Association of Tourist Guides of Santiago and who has accompanied for 25 years groups of pilgrims, does not know of other cases. Nevertheless, the 62-year-old finds the recent events "extremely worrying". He appeals to all the pilgrims to always carry a phone with them and "never go alone".


BBM


Denise did not carry a phone.

Meanwhile, Covadonga Ayora, the woman who was almost kidnapped on Saturday, has joined the search for Denise.

 

[ZaZara]

KIDNAP ATTEMPT, FEAR BUT NO TRACE OF DENISE, THE MISSING PILGRIM


ElMundo.es
http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2015/05/21/555cad2746163f85388b4595.html


She felt a tug on her arm that left her with bruises of the finger marks, but she managed to escape the grip and ran until she found a hiding place. The man tried to follow her, but either she sidetracked him or he did not want to risk too much. Now what is left, is fear in her body and the awareness that she has saved herself from a kidnapping attempt. Covadonga, a resident of Santa Catalina, a town nine kilometers from Astorga, has related on camera how they tried to drag her into a car on that stretch of the Camino de Santiago, the area where last April 5 the American pilgrim, Denise Pikka Thiem, disappeared.

Covadonga had gone jogging in the area over the weekend when a car stopped next to her. She thought they were going to ask her for directions and came over. There were two men, "the driver, I did not see him well because he was hooded," but the other man got out and "grabbed my arm." She escaped and managed to call her partner, who came to fetch her from the hiding place that she had found among the brambles. "Whoever had grabbed me was wearing military trousers and boots and had a foreign accent." She has filed a complaint with the police, who are investigating.

Denise Thiem

For now, the event "is unconnected to with the disappearance of the American pilgrim," according to the Prefectures in Leon, who are investigating the most recent case. Neither do they link Denise's case with the statement of several woman pilgrims denouncing 'harassment' in the area. But Denise's friends are concerned about this latest development. According to El Mundo, J., one of the pilgrims who walked part of the Camino with the now missing Denise, says "We always thought that something like this is what might have happened. That a car stopped and someone took her away without leaving a trace. The disadvantage of Denise was also that she was walking tired and she was carrying a backpack, so she could not react fast. "

The town of Santa Catalina, where the attempted abduction has occurred, lies between Astorga and El Ganso, precisely the track of the Camino to Santiago that Denise planned to hike before disappearing without trace.

The neighbors are baffled and afraid. The Mayor of Astorga, Victorina Alonso, municipality to which the parish of Santa Catalina belongs, has recommended "not to go alone through the most remote areas," according to the Diario de León. But also she wants to calm down the situation and said that "one should panic."

From his home in Texas (USA), Denise's brother, Cedric Thiem, speaks with El Mundo after learning of this attempted kidnapping in the area. "The only thing that worries me is if they will find my sister in a good condition. I have no further news and just hope that when the news arrives, they will say that my sister is safe," he says. He admits that "all I know is that the police are working on the case."

About the incident in the area he says he sorry to hear it. "Not because it reminds me that my sister might have suffered something similar, but because someone has been at the point of being hurt. Luckily this woman managed to escape and her family does not have to go through the suffering we are going through," he says .

He does not stop thinking about Denise even for one minute. About what could have happened. And although he tries try to keep a cool head, imagination flies. "Every day I wake up I think it's one more day that my sister is missing. I think all the time about what could have happened to her, anything is possible, and kidnapping is among those possibilities."

Cedric says his sister "is a very hardworking person, with a successful career as a business woman and very dedicated to her friends. She was a point in het life where she wanted to explore her artistic side and experiment with painting watercolors while traveling. She started on the Camino, in part, to find herself ". In fact, she sent him some of the drawings that she made during her trip.

He also indicates that Denise - missing since more than a month and a half ago, "was not afraid to travel alone, but was always very careful." "She told me in her e-mails that Spain was very nice and that the pilgrims took care of one another. Also that the locals were very friendly and how she would like that one day we would hike the Camino together," he recalls.

The family is mobilizing US authorities to become involved in the search for Denise. And they want to thank the people of Astorga for the support they have given.
Cedric asks: "If anyone has seen my sister, please go to the police."


BBM


Drawing by Denise Thiem, made during her trip.

 

[ZaZara]

TODAY'S SEARCH FOR TRACES OF DENISE ENDS WITHOUT RESULTS


a posting on the FB-page Help Us Find Denise:
https://www.facebook.com/helpdenisenow?fref=nf

This Saturday we, a group of volunteers accompanied by Richard, friend of Denisse, have been tracing an area from Murias de Rechivaldo to El Ganso. Unfortunately we have not found any clue, we will continue our searches.



BBM

 

[ZaZara]

The Guardian, today
http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...tiago-pilgrims-after-female-walker-disappears

Warning to Camino de Santiago pilgrims after female walker disappears

Pilgrims are being warned to avoid walking alone along a 15-mile stretch of Spain’s Camino de Santiago after police launched an investigation into an attempted abduction in the same area where an American pilgrim went missing in early April.



BBM


More at link.

The funny thing, or maybe the not-so-funny thing, in this article is a reference is made to one of the forums about the Camino de Santiago.

With local media drawing parallels between the attempted abduction and Thiem’s disappearance, one of the pilgrimage’s largest English-speaking forums advised pilgrims not to walk alone on the section of the route, which stretches from Astorga to Rabanal del Camino. “It seemed like it got to a point where there were so many things, and when you put them together it sounded like we should tell people about this,” said site administrator Ivar Rekve.

...

In his 10 years of running the forum, Rekve said it was the first time he had ever sent out such a warning, in which he highlighted the credible reports about improper behaviour towards women along the route. “The Camino has been a very safe place, and it still is, but it only takes a few to make the situation more uncertain,” he added.

So far, so good. What The Guardian does not tell is that the thread containing this warning has been closed and removed from the homepage, after complaints of pilgrims that discussions about self defense and pepperspray do not square with the values of the Camino, a Holy Path where pilgrims are protected by St James.


While we do not know what happened to Denise and therefore cannot say if pepperspray would have played a role in preventing this, IMHO counting on protection by a higher spiritual power is perhaps not the wisest choice as long as there are people around with different ideas, especially if these persons are driving a car and can appear from and be gone to heaven knows where in a matter of minutes.


:maddening:

 

[ZaZara]

VOLUNTEER PARTROLS SEARCH FOR THE MISSING PILGRIM DENISE THIEM

http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/201...adanas-rastreo-desaparecida-201505251235.html

Family members of Denise Thiem, the woman who disappeared on April 4 while on her way on to Astorga, have been organizing for days "local patrols to search for Denise at all etapas of the Camino where we possibly can." Thus, a group of volunteers mobilized through social networks combed on Saturday the trail where the pilgrim was seen for the last time.
Relatives of the US woman request volunteers to detail if they have advanced knowledge of the Camino de Santiago, the neighboring areas or have experience in search and rescue. A coordinator is responsible for the formation of the groups. The citizen search parties looking for Denise are underway from Friday to Sunday.

The missing woman has black hair and black eyes, Asian features, measures 1.62, it is thin and weighs about 54 kilos. She departed from Pamplona after a long journey that began in her home in Phoenix (Arizona) and that took her to Manila, Cambodia and Singapore, then to Paris and from there to the the Camino to Santiago.


BBM

Next search party will be on Saturday. No tangible results have been reported so far.


Several newspapers reprinted (part of) the publication of The Guardian of this week:

Warning to Camino de Santiago pilgrims after female walker disappears

Pilgrims are being warned to avoid walking alone along a 15-mile stretch of Spain’s Camino de Santiago after police launched an investigation into an attempted abduction in the same area where an American pilgrim went missing in early April.

Their focus was on the warning to Pilgrims on the Camino, and Denise's case was almost mentioned as a footnote. Very frustrating to read that! It is good and proper that people are warned of course, but Denise must not be pushed into a foggy background as whatever something that unfortunately happened to someone a while ago

Help find Denise!




:ufo:

 

[ZaZara]

WALL STREET JOURNAL:


http://www.wsj.com/articles/photos-of-the-day-may-29-1432931103









Pilgrims walk on the Way of St. James, or Camino de Santiago, in Spain on Friday near Astorga, Spain. American pilgrim Denise Thiem went missing on April 5 in this area as she was making the pilgrimage.


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

TWO MONTHS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PILGRIM DENISE THIEM THE INVESTIGATION IS AT A STANDSTILL


ABC.es Galicia
http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/201...rss&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed


In December last year, Denise Thiem decided to strap on her backpack and spend her savings to travel the world. She wanted to visit some Asian countries such as Cambodia and Singapore and then make the jump to Europe, taking advantage of the fact that she had lost her job and had few months to think life over and travel. Among her plans was the Camino de Santiago, a life experience that would put an end to her four months of travel before returning home. In the mail she send to her friend, Denise wrote that she only needed to complete a few etapas in order to reach the Plaza de Obradoiro and that after that she would depart for the United States to be reunited with her pets. It was her last message.

Very regular and organized this peregrina, aged 40, pulled 50 euros from a cash machine every Monday to spend during the week and got in touch with family and friends frequently through mail or Skype. All alarms went off when Denise both stopped calling her family and withdrawing money. In the accounts of the pilgrim there has been no more activity from April 4 on and no one has seen her. Her family, alarmed by her disappearance, traveled to Spain and reported the case. All means were set into motion to locate the young woman who was traveling without a mobile phone, but no attempt has paid off so far.

On the brink of two months after the strange disappearance of Denise Thiem, all the unknowns continue without any clarification. It is known that the pilgrim spent the night in a hostel Astorga and that among her plans was to travel to the village of El Ganso. The last person who saw her was an Italian hiker who had a coffee with her near the Cathedral of Astorga, the same day. From there on, the steps of Denise vanish into thin air. Since then, trackings and raids in the area have been steadily ongoing in recent weeks, both by the National Police and Guardia Civíl. Also, every weekend civilian searches are organized with volunteers who contact Denise's brother through his Facebook page. But the officials acknowledge that not all hypotheses are still open and there are no leads that they can follow.

An accident seemed, at first, the most plausible cause of the disappearance of Denise, but the lack of evidence and traces confuses the investigators. Two weeks ago, the case changed drastically when complaints of "harassment" became known that several female pilgrims had made close to the etapa where Denise disappeared. However, officials were quick to separate these from the disappearance of Denise. Two months later, and with all lines of investigation open, posters with "missing" abound at the albergues in an effort to shed light on the disappearance of Denise.


BBM

 

[poppygirl]

Thanks for posting the update. Hope this lady is found.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ZaZara]

THE MYSTERY OF DENISE DOES NOT FIND AN ANSWER


Leonnoticias.com
http://leonoticias.com/frontend/leo...-Denise-No-Encuentra-Solucion-vn176732-vst218



"All we know is that we know nothing."
Few expressions, however clear and emphatic, define an extreme situation. And this time the extreme situation reveals a most disturbing case: since more than two months nothing is known of the pilgrim Denise Pikka Thiem.

Official sources from the investigation have said Wednesday that during all this time "they have made the greatest efforts" and have put and they are putting, they point out, all means into this case.

Patrols on motorbike and quads, on foot and by helicopter, questioning residents of different villages including the most isolated, generic and selective scourings, searches through the Net. The range of work done in this case does not leave much room for expansion. "But the reality is that we know nothing," it is insisted.

She is no friend of follies

Denise Pikka Thiem, the pilgrim missing since last May when she hiked the Camino de Santiago, is a true enigma. This American woman defined by her brother as "prudent" and by no means friendly towards committing foolish acts was staying in the albergue of San Javier in the town of Astorga on the night of 4 to 5 April.

Until then her day to day behaviour on the Camino seemed normal. Sometimes she walked alone, sometimes she joined to groups of pilgrims, she spoke with them and always, always, contacted her family and friends in Arizona.

Nothing unusual happened until overnight young Denise stopped giving signs of life. Her traces on the Camino disappeared into thin air, her messages online came to an end. In her latest email she announced her intention to hike towards el Ganso, where she had been told there was a good albergue.

But she never arrived. Alarm bells, and this is another crucial aspect for investigation, rang far too late. It was a friend of Denise who, by using facebook, sent messages to as many people as she could locate in Astorga because the last message came from there.

"Tomorrow I will go to mass"

"Hello from Astorga. I'm glad you have a good day although the weather has not been perfect. Tomorrow I will go to Mass at eleven oçlock before proceeding. I plan to go to Ganso (referring to the nearby town of El Ganso). I have been told they have a decent albergue. Glad that Louis is well. We are moving upwards. Enjoy, DT ". This was the content of her last mail.

The request for help from Arizona caught on in seconds in the local community. One of the recipients of the mail sent by Denise's friend notified the security forces and informed the media of the situation, but between one thing and another more than ten days had passed. "A lot of time if you try to find a trace or to locate a trail that could lead to another", according to the investigators.

Cedric Thiem brother of the missing woman does not give up. "I hope she's alive," he has repeated over and over again. The Guardia Civil does not shelve the case. Quite the opposite. The investigation and the sureveillance continue, and they hope for a 'mistake' by those who may be involved in this case. But for now the only reality is that there is no end to the mystery of Denise .


BBM


Ten days are a lot of days if you want to recover the tracks of someone.
Well yes and no and maybe.
When Denise's brother Cedric turned to the Camino fora, he was met with soothing replies she will turn up, she may be in area with no internet, are we sure she wants to be found? and the like.
This week, a mother in Canada was unable to contact her daughter for a week. The daughter was walking the Camino, alone last contact was from Astorga.

............................... (fill in your thoughts)

and then the daughter called her mother tonight. After 10 days. Apart from problems with her email, she had been caught up in the 'Camino bubble' and she had not been aware that her family might be upset about the lack of messages.

IMHO it is almost inevitable that days will be lost.

:gaah:


Denise Thiem, where are you?

 

[ZaZara]

FAMILY OF DENISE THIEM TEAMS UP WITH FAMILY OF WOMAN FROM OURENSE WHO DISAPPEARED ONE MONTH LATER


The family of pilgrim missing on the Camino and the family of a woman from Ourense whose tracks were lost a month ago while doing sports, unite to demand more resources to search for the missing women.


http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/201...s&utm_content=uh-rss&utm_campaign=traffic-rss


On April 4 the trail of pilgrim Denise Thiem was lost. At the time of her disappearance she was hiking an etapa of the Camino de Santiago near Astorga. A month later, on May 2, the family of Socorro Pérez reported that she had not returned home after leaving for a jog through the district of O Couto in Orense. The narrow margin of time that separates both disappearances and the geographical proximity between the two (just 170 kilometers) has brought together the spokespersons of the families affected by these losses with the aim to create a common front and demand more human and material resources in the searches launched by investigators.

ABC has been told that since Wednesday the families of Denise and Socorro maintain contact by telephone to team up and achieve that the efforts be doubled both in the work of tracking and in the investigations initiated. To start they request that the allocation of police officers working on the cases is increased and that the cases do not fall through the cracks. "We are very afraid that with the passage of time and the lack of evidence the search parties will be stopped," spokesmen in Spain for the family of the Amercian woman commented. In the same vein, the father of Socorro pleads for help to continue searching for his daughter, while he laments that "a long time has passed and there is not one clue yet."

Although there is nothing to indicate that the one and the other disappearance may be connected, the cases of Socorro Perez and Denise Thiem do have obvious similarities. One is that the two women had immediate plans that were cut short abruptly. In the case of Denise, her friends revealed that the pilgrim had planned to hike to the village of El Ganso to attend a Mass and that from there she would face a new etapa of the Camino. Once in Santiago, Denise had decided to return to her native Arizona to reunite with her dogs, and she admitted that she missed them very much in several emails sent to her brother and a close female friend.

Meanwhile, Socorro had planned to spend the Sunday after her disappearance in a resort located on the outskirts of Orense with her mother. It was precisely her delay when it was time to leave that alerted her parents, who reported her missing that same afternoon. The police was quick to describe this disappearance as 'disturbing', as the family spokesman told this newspaper.

With all assumptions open, for the time being neither case has produced significant advances that help to find the whereabouts of the missing women. United by the pain that a disappearance causes, the families of Denise and Socorro request that investigations continue to take their course and not be closed for lack of evidence. "Every day that passes without news is like a heavy stone, especially for their parents," says the cousin of the woman from Orense, whom he defines as "a nothing of party girl, someone who enjoyed making great journeys."

The parents and brother of Denise Thiem do not give up and stick to their conviction that the pilgrim did not leave of her own free will. To prevent her disappearance from falling into oblivion, every weekend civilians' raids are being organized to comb tracks of the Camino where she was seen for the last time. They have also launched several search campaigns through social networks in which there are thousands of people involved. Faced with the anguish of not knowing, some declare they will "keep searching until they are found."


BBM


May 2 was a Saturday. It is assumed that the traces of Socorro Pérez were lost around 3 o'clock in the afternoon when she went jogging.

Covadonga Ayora, the woman from Santa Catalina de Somoza, escaped being kidnapped while she was jogging in the afternoon of May 16, Saturday.


:notgood:

 

[poppygirl]

Not good at all ZaZara! These women it seems we're out alone, in isolated areas when they disappeared/attacked!!! I pray their families get answers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ZaZara]

Not good at all ZaZara! These women it seems we're out alone, in isolated areas when they disappeared/attacked!!! I pray their families get answers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree! The families do not see a connection between the cases, but the similarities are all too obvious.

What is more, today brings very sad news about Socorro Pérez:


HUMAN REMAINS FOUND WHERE ONE MONTH AGO SOCORRO PÉREZ FROM OURENSE DISAPPEARED
AWAITING OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION BUT EVERYTHING INDICATES THAT THE BODY IS HERS


http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...ecida-ourense-mes/00031433582250783899316.htm


Three locals of Ourense found a body today in the area of Alto del Seminario, whose characteristics match those of Socorro Perez, 43, who disappeared last May 2 after jogging in the area of Reza. One of the men who found her confirmed that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition and wearing the same tracksuit that Socorro was wearing when she was seen for the last time. The body was covered by pine needles. The three neighbors, who were tracking around Reza (on the outskirts of the city of Ourense) observed some birds flying over a particular spot, they made themselves an opening through the brambles and found the body.

(...)

One of the hypothesis held by the investigators is that the woman died on the day of her disappearance, based on the advanced state of decomposition of the body, which does not allow for indentification of the victim for the time being. The family insists that the death is a violent one and rules out the possibility of a voluntary disappearance or suicide.
Autopsy will be done tomorrow on the basis of DNA.


BBM

RIP Socorro Pérez
Prayers for the family who have lost their only child

:rose:

 

[poppygirl]

Con Paz esteas Socorro. Rest in peace. May Denise be found soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ZaZara]

THE BODY OF SOCORRO PEREZ WAS FOUND IN THE UNDERGROWTH WITH A STRONG BLOW TO THE HEAD

La Región
http://www.laregion.es/articulo/ourense/aparece-cadaver-zona-seminario/20150606121441548095.html

The location of the discovery of the corpse, a wooded area with a slope next to the television tower of the Seminario, 25 meters off the road and how the body appeared yesterday morning with hardly any clothes, covered from the waist down and with a blow to the head, leads the security forces to working with the premise that Socorro Perez Rodriguez (43 years) was the victim of a violent death when she left to jog in the afternoon of May 2.

Although it should be the autopsy, scheduled for today, that confirms for one hundred percent the identity of the deceased, given the advanced state of decomposition of the body, the security forces are already working with the certainty that it is her. The clothes found on the spot - running pants with a vertical strip in red and a pale pink sweatshirt detached from the body - and the keys to the mailbox of her home mailbox in the street Álvarez de Soutomaior (O Couto) all point to the obvious.

BBM

This is alledgedly what happened to Socorro Pérez.
She did not disappear voluntarily, she did not end her own life.
I write this with rising anger.
I read a lot about Denise's case, and there is not much news. Searches are done and nothing is found.
Still there remain people who insist against all logic that she ran away and is hiding with one group or another. There are those who doubt that the local woman from Santa Catalina de Somoza was really the target of an attempted kidnapping. In fact, in Santa Catalina de Somoza nothing ever happens. The Camino de Santiago is safe, St James protects you and if we speak too much about safety concerns, women will get upset so you'd better stay home and not go anywhere, in fact one runs a bigger risk in New York than on the Camino.

It is good to remain positive, but this has nothing to do with positve thinking. This is denial and this undercurrent of denial is strong.

In contrast, fortunately, whatever the meaning of 'fortunate' in this sad context, this is what an expercienced caminante, former member of the catalán association of the Camino, writes on the FB of helpdenisenow:

Lluís Bahí Rubau:
A very ugly affair.
(...) it is true that I know myself these roads, have kicked them during days and almost during entire nights, in all seasons, almost always alone. If our Denise went to Mass at eleven and then got on her way, at this time there are few pilgrims who start on the Camino, this is great opportunity and an easy prey for bastards. And I do not know how I can help, I always go with my eyes wide open just in case I happen to spot her but I tend to think that we shall not see her anymore.

One can love the Camino and not close one's eyes to the obvious.
It is in everyone's interest that both Denise and the men who tried to kidnap Covadonga on that track be found.
The same applies of course to those responsible for the death of Socorro Pérez.

 

[ZaZara]

"HOPE MOTIVATES US TO CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR DENISE THIEM"


Diario de León.es
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias...tiva-seguir-busqueda-denise-thiem_984862.html


Family, friends and unnamed persons do not lose hope and is precisely this stae of mind that encourages them to continue searching for Denise Thiem, the American pilgrim who disappeared in Astorga more than two months ago.

Punctual at 10.30 am a group of volunteers with Richard, a college friend of Denise, at the head, arrive once again at a restaurant in the maragata capital. They have the intention to comb every inch of the area near Santa Catalina and its western part, with the purpose of finding any clue that they can give to the police, who are aware of all movements, and help to clarify the case.

"I think positive," Richard said yesterday, shortly before he set out on the map the day's route. Next to him an American pilgrim, Lorena, who began the Camino when she heard of Denise's case. "Following the events I proposed a network so that we do not have to travel alone." She started the Camino unaccompanied but gradually her idea was thriving. However, a cold left her behind in Burgos, but now that she has started to feel better, she decided to join the search. "I think the case has affected us all," admitted the girl, who wasted no time to alert other walkers that is was better to walk with company.

The case has also raised alarm bells in the international press, who echoed the event. It is true that what happened does not have repercussions in the number of pilgrims for this time of year, although there are several pilgrims, especially Americans, who are interested in what happened.

Not only Richard and Lorena undertook a day of searches yesterday. Volunteers from Leon and the town itself also wanted to contribute their 'grain of sand'. So far they have found some clothes "but these have not been identified as Denise's," according to Richard. He added that "I really care about my friend, I have known her for over 20 years now, besides that someone close to her is here also reassures the family."

To date all hypotheses remain open, but all who know Denise agree that "she is no friend of crazy actions." Also Richard confirmed this yesterday, ensuring also that Cedric, the brother of the disappeared pilgrim who traveled to Spain to report the case, "is standing strong". Richard has been for a fortnight in the maragata capital, and will remain there for seven more days in the hope of finding something that will help to discover the whereabouts of his friend.

Past 10.30 hrs, the group starts on the road to give their best during the search. The official investigation is ongoing, but so far there are no results. Richard did not say goodbye without acknowledging "the hardship of the work of the police". "They're working hard," he said, pointing to the volunteers as well.


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

KOREA REQUESTS MORE PROTECTION FOR ITS PILGRIMS

ABC.es Galicia
http://www.abc.es/local-galicia/20150608/abci-peregrinas-coreanas-camino-201506080938.html


Centuries ago, the Camino de Santiago was a dangerous itinerary where in order to reach the final destiny it was necessary to overcome many difficulties, including those of the bandits who assaulted the pilgrims. Today the reality is the opposite and, in fact, the Camino is seen as a safe route, and a success that many countries strive to copy. However, the disappearance of the American hiker Denise Thiem in April raises concerns with some nationalities. The fear has been installed among the pilgrims especially those from South Korea, a country on the rise that is very much present in the winter months. This we learn from Diego Yoon, president of the Korean Association of Friends of the Camino, that is headquartered in Madrid and that aims to support them.

Yoon participated in the conference held in Santiago, where he explained this situation not without causing a stir among those attending the talk of alleged sexual abuse on the Camino. This year alone he has recorded three cases, given that these pilgrims contacted the association for help. Asked about it on ABC, the leader of this group describes the cases of a young woman who found herself in full view of a naked man in the woods near Astorga, the same locality in Leon where Denise was last seen, Denise, who despite being American, has Asian features. The man had been approaching her, but she fled to the road where she was rescued by a driver.

The second case is documented in Galicia, while the third was located in Asturias, on the Camino del Norte, but unlike the others it was not reported to the police. A German hospitalero - a volunteer in charge as a host in albergues - allegedly offered to massage the pilgrim, and then would have tried to violate her after winning her trust. She managed to leave the place and return to Madrid, where she was taken care of by Yoon. "By telling their stories on the Internet, other women become afraid and decide not to come," he says. From his organization where they are working on issues like should you have signs on the road with emergency numbers to call, comes the request to reflect on the need to increase security.

Rafael Sanchez Bargiela, director of the Xacobeo, argues that "crime rates in the villages of the Camino in Galicia are below the average of the Community. Although he does not hide his "concern" about the case of Denise, he says that "problems are magnified that are in fact isolated."


BBM


:notgood:



Dear mr Sanchez Bargiela, in this day and age where everybody and their worst friend have a car, what is going to stop any perp from grabbing a lonely tiny Asian hiker off the Camino and be gone in seconds to heaven knows where?

 

[Satchie]

It is very concerning that no sign of her has been found, it does point to foul play and a good reason for women to walk in the vicinity of others - I hope she is found. But in terms of danger, many people have been killed by cars while walking the camino, since sometimes you have to walk along the road, that is an even bigger safety issue.