Catalan voter Marta Torrecillas says she was sexually assaulted and had her fingers snapped 'one by one' by Spanish riot cops - but minister says some violence pics are fake
A FEMALE Catalan voter was dragged from a Barcelona polling station and had her fingers broken "one by one" before laughing riot cops sexually assaulted her, she has claimed.
Marta Torrecillas made the shocking allegations after she was filmed being dragged from a school in the Eixample area yesterday — but a top Spanish government minister today claimed that photos and images of violence in the city were faked.
Foreign minister Alfonso Dastis said the chaos which left more than 840 people injured was "not extraordinary".
And he said that some photos of bloodied protesters and voters — including the elderly — who were caught in rubber bullet fire and baton charges were "fake".
“I’m sure you have seen what you have seen, but I have seen fake photos that date back to 2012", Mr Dastis told Sky News.
"So, I think we have got to be patient, and look at the situation, and really work out a way to find an appropriate solution within the law.
"I don't agree... that this is an extraordinary level of violence.
"You may think people were peacefully exercising their right to vote but the problem is this so-called referendum had been held to be illegal by the constitutional court."
Ms Torrecillas harrowing testimony told how her hands were allegedly crushed by Spanish riot cops.
Footage showed her being dragged down a flight of stairs as her dress pulled up over her body.
She claims that police later touched her breasts and her fingers were "deliberately" snapped.
"I was defending elderly people with open arms", she told friends.
"That's all I was doing, defending elderly people because they hit children and the elderly.
"They got hold of me and threw me down the stairs and threw things at me. They broke my fingers deliberately, one by one.
"Halfway down the stairs, with my clothes up, they touched my breasts while they laughed and hit me."
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont declared victory in the referendum to split from Spain — but the Madrid government insisted that no vote took place.
The European Commission said: "We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics."
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