'I was attacked in Spain and called an English whore but now I'm the one who faces court'
Serena Coronado has lived in her apartment in Galicia for nearly a decade, but is embroiled in a legal battle with a neighbour who "wants her out."
A British expat was attacked by her neighbour and accused of inventing a story when she reported the abuse to Spanish authorities.
Serena Coronado, an English teacher, claims her male neighbour has made repeated sexual comments and even called her an "English whore" at her apartment block in Moaña, Galicia.
The 41-year-old alleges that the neighbour "lunged at her" in a hallway, prompting her to spray him with bathroom cleaner in self-defense.
Serena later found out that her neighbour had reported her to the Guardia Civil - Spain’s national law enforcement agency - for "injuring his eyes" with the spray.
The teacher claims that her neighbour's eyes were not harmed in the incident, and was holding it to clean her dog’s urine off the street, as is required by Spanish law.
Serena later made her own police report, but said the Guardia Civil officers "rejected" her side of the story and accused her of trying to discredit her neighbour’s reputation.
The Brit was able to report the incident to the Policia Nacional, but her neighbour is pressing civil charges against her.
Serena says the alleged abuse started in August when she caught her neighbour staring at her on her balcony while she was dressed in underwear.
She claims he began calling her a "worthless British whore" and saying she was "not welcome in Spain."
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Serena recalled further escalation when the man accused her of stealing a package from his doorstep. When she denied the allegation, she claims he said: "We just got the Chinese woman out and now we only need to get rid of you and your s**aca husband."
S**aca is a racial slur used against people from Latin America. Serena’s husband is from Peru.
Commenting on the alleged abuse, Serena said: "I don’t feel safe at all, there is hostility against me in my building and I feel like I might be forced out."
She has lived in her flat in Galicia for nearly a decade.
Serena now risks having to pay hefty legal fees and fines from the civil case. She has returned to the UK while awaiting the court date in October.
