Women walking Camino de Santiago tell of 'terrifying' sexual harassment

Lone female pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago have spoken of being subjected to "terrifying" sexual harassment in near-deserted areas of rural Spain, Portugal and France.

- Ashifa Kassam & Mabel Banfield-Nwachi

In interviews with the Guardian, nine women said they had experienced harassment while attempting the pilgrimage route over the past five years, with several saying they had feared for their lives.

Seven of the women said they had encountered men in Spain and Portugal who were masturbating or touching themselves, one of whom went on to chase the pilgrim through the countryside.

Another woman said she had fended off unwanted touching and lewd comments from several men, while the ninth woman said a man had pulled up in a van as she walked and urged her to get in.

The incidents usually took place as the women were walking alone along remote stretches of the Camino.

Lorena Gaibor, founder of Camigas, an online forum that has been connecting female pilgrims since 2015, said: "Sexual harassment is endemic on the Camino. Every freaking year we get reports of women experiencing the same things."

Rosie, 25, said she was walking through a forested route in Portugal this summer when she came across a man with no trousers on who was masturbating as he watched her.

The local police did not pick up when she tried to call them.

"It was terrifying," said Rosie, who asked that her full name not be published. "I just felt completely alone at that point."