Woman freed after 24h horror ordeal in Torremolinos.

POLICE freed a woman in Torremolinos who claims she was imprisoned and raped in a Torremolinos home.

A Belgium-born man, 40, is in custody, National Police confirmed. The French woman, met the detainee several months earlier in Belgium where she lives. He suggested that she come to Spain to look after his parents and she arrived in Malaga a week yesterday.

When she arrived she discovered no elderly people lived there, and said she was going to return to Belgium. He allegedly locked her in, beating her when she attempted to leave and raped her. She claims he also took her passport, jewellery and mobile phone so she could not contact anyone.

The following day she was able to call for help to a neighbour through a bedroom window. Police found the house to be completely locked, with safety padlocks on the shutters, but convinced the Belgian man to let them. The woman showed signs of having been attacked and was taken to hospital.

She made a formal complaint against her captor who was arrested and taken before a judge.