Elderly disabled woman evicted after 71 years allowed to return home following protests

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An 87-year-old disabled woman who was evicted from the Madrid home she had lived in for over 70 years has been allowed to return to her apartment, her lawyer has said.

Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly removed from her flat on a stretcher last week and was admitted to hospital after the high-profile eviction, which came after her rent was substantially increased.

Riot police were deployed as hundreds of protesters lined the street and camped outside to prevent her from being kicked out.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez had promised to introduce new laws on Tuesday to demand stronger protections against evictions.

On Tuesday, her lawyer Beatriz Duro told reporters that discussions had taken place with “goodwill from both parties” and that a new contract would be continued allowing her to continue paying a similar amount of rent as she had been previously.

It is unclear what the final figure is and Ms Abascal is yet to approve the agreement as she was unable to take part in the meeting.

Her lawyer said she would sign the new contract once she has left the hospital where she is being treated for exhaustion. She credited the deal to the power of “social mobilisation”.

Ms Abascal’s home, located in the affluent Retiro neighbourhood in the city, had been acquired by an investment fund, Urbagestion, who sought to introduce the price changes.

At first her rent had been increased from €500 per month (£428; $572) to €2,650 (£2,280; $3,020), which was later reduced to €1,650 (£1,414; $1870) however she was still unable to pay this with her monthly pension of €1,350 (£1,157; $1,530).

Three previous attempts to evict her had been blocked by Spanish courts.

Spain is facing a worsening housing affordability crisis as the case became a flashpoint for tensions across the country.

The case has received international attention as protests erupted on the street outside her home where campaigners chanted: “Maricarmen, you’re not alone!” and “Murderers!”.

“I've lived here for 71 years and I don't want to leave,” Ms Abascal told reporters on the eve of the eviction.

In an address at a Socialist Party rally, Sanchez said: “Maricarmen, I have a message for you” and described the housing crisis as a “matter of humanity” transcending politics and insisted he would make a change.

The Bank of Spain has estimated that Spain is short of 700,000 homes.