Sexual Assaults in Ceuta: A Daily Occurrence, Prosecutors Claim
Spanish prosecutors allege that 23 sexual assaults, including nine against children, have been documented in Ceuta since the influx of migrants from Morocco at the end of July. This equates to nearly one case per day, according to Ceuta’s chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas.
Rojas attributed the vulnerability of migrant girls to their irregular status within the Spanish exclave. At least 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta on 30 and 31 July, with an estimated 5,000 still present, sparking unrest and a crisis for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Among the suspects are four Moroccans, three Spaniards, and a Belgian, as per Efe news agency. Rojas noted that many victims refrain from reporting these crimes due to fear or their precarious situation in Ceuta.
The Spanish Society of Epidemiology has emphasized that violence against women is not an isolated incident. The economy minister, Carlos Cuerpo, announced a multi-million euro aid package to support essential services and care for unaccompanied children.
Ceuta’s conservative mayor, Juan Jesús Vivas, has called for demonstrations across Spain in solidarity with the territory on its annual holiday, scheduled for Wednesday. The Spanish government faces criticism from opposition parties for its handling of this crisis, with the hard-right Vox party accusing Sánchez of ceding control over Ceuta.
Arantxa Campos, president of the Ceuta Employers’ Confederation, expressed frustration to the BBC: "We can’t do anything unless these people leave… We don’t even know when they’re going to finish screening everyone."
The prime minister has promised King Felipe VI will visit Ceuta "as soon as conditions allow," a move intended to assert Spanish authority over the territory, which Morocco has long claimed. The last time a Spanish head of state visited Ceuta was in 2007, leading to diplomatic tensions with Rabat.
