Sexual assaults since the massive entry on July 30 in Ceuta have risen to 10 as of yesterday, five of them being rapes – sexual assaults with penetration -, according to data collected by EL MUNDO from police and judicial sources. All known victims are migrants and among them are minors.
Three girls went to the University Hospital in recent hours accompanied by their monitors. They are minors housed in centers dependent on the city and were taken to be examined after reporting that they had suffered sexual assaults. They were unable to identify the alleged perpetrators nor determine their nationality. According to their testimonies, they were unknown people they had seen around the city and whose clothing they associated with some of those who arrived in the rush. They made no reference to people of sub-Saharan origin and the possibility that they were Moroccan is based on the perception of the minors, not on police identification.
Reports began to be known in the first days of August, when the University Hospital attended to several migrant minors and health and police protocols were activated. In some cases, the Justice system has already acted and, in fact, the Andalusian High Court reported last week three proceedings against Moroccan migrants, in two cases against minors. Two suspects have already been imprisoned and a third was expelled to Morocco.
As of yesterday, sources consulted by EL MUNDO have no record of any rape complaint by a woman, adolescent, or girl from Ceuta attributed to people who arrived during the entries of July 30-31. A fact that contrasts with several reports and messages on social networks that, in recent days, raised the number of alleged rapes, with women from the autonomous city as victims. The documented cases would be the 10 mentioned, five of them for rape.
The other controversial news focus has to do with the alleged migrants who entered Ceuta with terrorism records. Police sources consulted by EL MUNDO explain that during the crisis two people who had an active ban on entering Spain for reasons linked to jihadism were expelled. Specifically, for their connection to radicalization processes. But those same sources deny that they have been arrested now for terrorism or that they are attributed with preparing a possible attack in the city of Ceuta.
One of these people was located at sea by the Guardia Civil and the second was identified by the National Police. When the agents checked their identities, they confirmed that both were prohibited from returning to Spain and action was taken to enforce the expulsion measures against them.
A police source explains to EL MUNDO that a ban on entry can derive from a judicial ruling, but also from an administrative decision adopted according to immigration legislation for reasons related to State security. In the latter case, it is not necessary for the person to have committed an attack. A foreign citizen can be expelled and subsequently banned from entering Spain due to records related to radicalization processes. If they return to Spanish territory while that ban is still in effect and are identified, action is taken against them again, as is the case with the two people mentioned.
Official sources from the Guardia Civil finally deny having reported the arrest of an alleged jihadist in El Tarajal. The Armed Institute recalls that passport control and checking entry bans at the border correspond to the National Police. Likewise, the Guardia Civil dissociates itself from any data on cases of assault or sexual abuse, as it is not their competence either.
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