Some minors report to the police alleged vexations in reception centers in Ceuta

BarcelonaThe Ceuta Juvenile Prosecutor's Office has transferred to the court several complaints from underage girls who arrived alone in the Spanish enclave during the mass entry between July 30 and 31 and who claim to have suffered abuse or harassment in reception centers of the regional protection network. As reported by El País and confirmed by sources from the Ceuta Prosecutor's Office, the public ministry has become aware of "some complaints" filed with the police, which have been placed at the disposal of the judicial body.

The same sources, however, emphasize that the Prosecutor's Office has not opened a general investigation into the juvenile centers nor is it generally investigating alleged abuse or harassment in these facilities. Furthermore, they have clarified that the decision to refer the proceedings to the court responds to "strictly functional and organizational reasons," taking into account the extraordinary workload currently faced by the Ceuta Prosecutor's Office. The objective, they pointed out, is to avoid the duplication of investigations into the same facts and to ensure that they are investigated by the competent body.

The Prosecutor's Office asserts that they are attentive to any situation that may affect the integrity, safety, or rights of minors under protection, and that they will act, within their powers, in the face of any event that may constitute a crime. For the moment, the public ministry states that protection files have been opened and that, in agreement with the responsible public entity, it has been decided to separate the affected minors from this center.

"They call us whores, they hit us"

According to the information published by El País, several adolescent girls left two juvenile centers in the autonomous city due to mistreatment, physical punishment, lack of medical attention, or threats of being returned to Morocco by center staff. "They call us whores constantly, they hit us, they punish us if we ask to use our mobile phones or for a pillow," one of them states in statements to the aforementioned newspaper, and assures that there are many more young women in the same situation, including one who allegedly suffered sexual insults and explicit threats of rape.

According to this information, last Thursday the young women gave statements and that same day the city's minors department intervened. Two security men were identified who, according to the complainants, uttered insults and threats and were removed from their posts and replaced by women. An educator was also identified whom the minors accuse of mistreatment.