200 migrants have been deported from Ceuta after being detained in the autonomous city on suspicion of committing various crimes, Interior Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, who oversees the unified command managing the migration crisis in Ceuta, said on Monday.
According to Spain’s General Prosecutor’s Office, 23 sexual assaults have been recorded in Ceuta over the past month. However, the identities of only eight suspected attackers have been established: four Moroccan citizens, three Spaniards, and one Belgian. The prosecutor’s office reported that five of the reported assaults were rapes, and nine of the victims were minors aged 14 to 17.
Strengthening the judicial system and combating crime
The figure cited by Minister Torres is double the number of deportations reported last Friday by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who at the time spoke of 100 individuals deported due to crime suspicions. Sources from his ministry noted that three of them had prior convictions related to jihadism. On Monday, Ángel Víctor Torres reported 200 deportations.
On Monday, the Spanish government approved a second reinforcement of the staff of Ceuta’s Court of First Instance. A new judge will join the court to handle cases related to violence against women, the Ministry of Justice said.
The minister of territorial policy, in an interview with Antena 3, assured that the Spanish authorities are «absolutely uncompromising» toward crime in Ceuta. According to the government, around 5,000 of the up to 80,000 migrants who arrived from Morocco at the end of July remain in the city.
The General Prosecutor’s Office also reported an increase in «crimes against property», as well as offenses related to attacks on authorities and resistance against them. Last Thursday, when 16 sexual assaults were recorded in Ceuta, General Prosecutor Teresa Peramato emphasized the «particular vulnerability» of underage migrants in the city.
The State Delegation for Gender Violence in Ceuta on August 4 activated an emergency response plan. Its goal is to strengthen assistance and protection for women and migrant girls who arrived in Ceuta after July 30. The government has also collaborated with NGOs working on the ground to inform migrants about the 016 helpline, which provides assistance in 53 languages, Europa Press reported.
The Ministry of Equality stated that it has continuously coordinated with the Ceuta government to ensure all «protection tools», including a 24-hour Crisis Center with 14 beds for victims of sexual violence. Equality Minister Ana Redondo explained in Congress on Monday that, following dialogue with the Ceuta government, it was agreed to extend the stay of victims beyond the usual 72 hours.
Meanwhile, Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary carried out the procedure to appoint a judge to reinforce Ceuta’s Court of First Instance and support the court section handling cases of violence against women. The deadline for applications for this position expired last Friday at 23:59, and the government approved the court reinforcement on Monday, the Ministry of Justice said.
Source: 20minutos
