For years, children have been disappearing in the El Raval district of Barcelona. When the culprit was finally found, Enriqueta Marti and her twisted crimes were to blame. Due to the darkness of her crimes, she was dubbed the Vampire of El Raval, and perhaps the extent of her crimes will never be revealed.
Step into the obscure streets of El Raval in Barcelona and immerse yourself in the spine-chilling tale of Enriquet Martí, the infamous vampire who haunted the neighborhood in the slow 19th century.
Known for her macabre actions, Enriqueta Martí preyed on the weakest members of society, luring innocent children into her clutches. This obscure tale unravels the secrets of her heinous crimes, revealing a web of deceit, manipulation and unspeakable horrors that left people unable to believe she was human.
Dark and Scary Neighborhood: El Raval
In the years leading up to World War I, the Raval district of Barcelona had a obscure and sinister reputation. The area, still commonly called Barri Xino or the red lightweight district, has a long history of criminal activity and poverty, and is home to bohemian artists, theaters, bars and cabarets.
Its dimly lit streets and alleys have witnessed countless crimes, making it the perfect setting for the haunting story of Enriqueta Martí. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the most densely populated district in Europe. The atmosphere of fear and anxiety that permeates Raval adds an additional layer of horror to the story of the infamous vampire.
Missing children that no one was looking for
In the slow 19th century, Barcelona was a city plagued by poverty and social inequality, with a wide difference between the ups and downs of social status. It was in this atmosphere of desperation that Enriqueta Martí found her victims. She preyed on the weakest members of society: destitute children that no one really noticed. These innocent souls were often neglected and forgotten by society, making them uncomplicated targets for Martí's twisted desires.
The disappearance of these children went unnoticed for too long because their absence was overshadowed by the chaos and hardship of the times. Martí's ability to operate in the shadows, unnoticed by the authorities, allowed her to continue her unchecked reign of terror.
The obscure legend of Enriqueta Martí as the vampire of El Raval
Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés – a name that still sends shivers down the spines of those who dare to say it. Born in 1868, Martí became one of the most famed figures in Barcelona's history.
She was known by many names:“The Vampire of Carrer Ponent”“The Vampire of Barcelona” i “The Vampire of Raval”. The press sensationalized her crimes and perpetuated the image of a bloodthirsty monster that preyed on the innocent.
Martí's gruesome activities included kidnapping, murder, and even running a brothel specializing in child prostitution. But what drove this woman to commit such heinous acts?
Before the renovation in 1923, the street was something completely different than the home of a bar, pub and exclusive shops. It used to be a brothel owned by Enriqueta. She was a straightforward country girl who moved to the city to earn a living. She started out as a nanny and waitress, but soon became a prostitute until she became a madam and opened her own brothel on Carrer Ponent.
The work of a vampire as a shaman
One of her darker endeavors was as a shaman. He was said to sell miraculous skin creams to wealthy women that gave them eternal beauty.
The only thing they didn't know was that these alleged creams contained children's blood and fat. Or maybe they knew but just didn't care.
She also claimed to have found a cure for tuberculosis, which was plaguing the city at the time. She said that by drinking the children's blood, they would be cured.
Terrible crimes
It is said that she disguised herself as a destitute woman and looked for children who were not watched over by adults. She then took them and sold them in her brothel.
She was arrested once in 1909 during Tragic Week for selling children, but was never convicted because she took advantage of her friends in high places who relied on her services.
It was only when a particular girl went missing that the police really bothered to investigate the case thoroughly, because she was not a destitute and orphaned child like many of her other victims.
The tragic story of Teresita Guitart Congost
Although Teresita Guitart Congost's parents weren't necessarily wealthy, they were popular and influential, making this case significant compared to all the other cases. A neighbor saw the girl in Marti's apartment at 29 Ponent Street or Carrer de Joaquin Costa as it was and informed the police. When they arrived, they found Teresita Guitart Congost and a girl named Angelita. Teresita Guitart Congost said Marti lured her there with sweets, then locked them in her apartment.
No one knew who Angelita was and even though Marti claimed she was her daughter, her ex-husband claimed they never had children. It was from this girl that shocking details came to lightweight. According to this adolescent girl, she apparently saw Marti slaughtering a five-year-old named Pepito on the kitchen table, whom she had stolen from a single mother who was up-to-date to town.
Police also found bags filled with diminutive and bloody human bones and filthy clothing, as well as about 50 jars of fat, blood, hair and skeletons, some of which were already mixed into ointment, ready for sale.
Although it was a filthy apartment and had a terrible stench, there was one room that was immaculate, with steep furniture and nice clothes for both girls and boys, most likely where her clients were taken.
Bones were found in her former apartments, and a child's skull was found in the yard. They were unable to piece them all together, and the criminals managed to identify only twelve children. But how many of them there really were is unknown.
Arrest and trial of Enriqueta Martí
The police accused her of abducting and killing children, the number of whom is unknown. She had 20 years to commit her crimes in peace. She never admitted to killing any of the children, but admitted that she brought children to wealthy child molesters through her brothel. She never mentioned the names of her clients.
Martí was never convicted. Her fellow prisoners took matters into their own hands and in May 1913 they hanged her in the prison yard. In some versions she was beaten to death. The official information about the death states that it was cancer. It was rumored that Martí's wealthy patrons paid for her murder to ensure that their obscure dealings with her would never come to lightweight. The official cause of death listed on her death certificate was uterine cancer, effectively closing the door on further investigation into her crimes.
Was the rumor false?
Although Martí's reign of terror came to an end with her death, questions remain about the true extent of her crimes. Did she really kill them, or was she more of a scapegoat for the elite to throw out when the police got too close?
They suggest that it can only be plausibly linked to the kidnapping of one adolescent girl, Teresita Guitart. These researchers claim that the black legend attributed to Martí cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, stories and legends about her still circulate in the obscure corners of Barcelona, perpetuating her infamous reputation, and for many years countless local Barcelonans claimed to have been tried or kidnapped by her.
Enriqueta Martí's obscure tale lives on
The story of Enriqueta Martí, the infamous vampire of El Raval, is a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk within the human soul. Her crimes shocked the city and left scars that remain to this day. While the truth may never be fully known, Martí's legend continues to captivate and terrify those who dare to delve into the depths of her obscure tale.
Walking through the streets of El Raval, it is impossible not to feel uneasy, as if the echoes of her crimes were still echoing in the shadows. Enriqueta Martí may be dead, but her legacy as one of Barcelona's most iconic figures lives on, reminding us of the slim line between good and evil and the horrors that can lie just beneath the surface.
Reference:
Enriqueta Martí – The Vampire of Raval – Barcelona Summary
https://www.thepastworld.com/post/the-vampire-of-raval
Image Source: Pixabay.com
