Galician judge blocks eviction of 85-year-old woman
Aurelia Rey´s case hit the headlines when members of protest platform battled with police
A judge in Galicia has stopped the eviction of an 85-year-old woman who was being forced out of her apartment in A Coruña by the owners when she fell behind on her 126-euro monthly rent last year. The case of Aurelia Rey has made news across Spain when members of the Stop Evictions platform battled with police who had come to evict the woman last week. Activists have been guarding the building in the center of the city for the past 15 days.
Rey, who has no family, has been paying the same amount since 1979. The platform said that a judge agreed to suspend the eviction order for two months after accepting an agreement by the owners. Activists are demanding that social services find a place for Rey to live.
Last week Spain´s Popular Party government agreed to consider legislative measures to stem the tide of evictions. Under Spanish law, simply returning the keys to the bank is not normally an option, and mortage holders can be faced with a lifetime of unpaid debts.
