Following the mass arrival of migrants from Morocco in late July, Spanish authorities have recorded an increase in sexual assaults in Ceuta.
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Ceuta’s chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, said a total of 23 sexual assaults had been recorded, with nine of the victims being children.
In a statement to the Spanish newspaper “El País,” Rojas stressed that migrant girls face particular danger because of their precarious situation in the territory.
According to the Spanish news agency Efe, the suspects in these assaults include four Moroccan nationals, three Spaniards and one Belgian.
The prosecutor also said that many victims had not officially reported the incidents because they were afraid or were living in insecure conditions in Ceuta.
The crisis in the Spanish enclave erupted after around 72,000 migrants entered from Morocco on July 30 and 31. Most of them have returned, while around 5,000 people remain in Ceuta.
Authorities estimate that between 1,400 and 1,600 of them are children, many of whom arrived unaccompanied.
In recent days, the city has seen heightened tensions and clashes between migrants and local residents. The developments have also triggered a political crisis for the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The Spanish Epidemiology Association has warned that violence against women should be viewed as a broad social problem rather than an isolated phenomenon.
Meanwhile, the Spanish government is facing strong criticism from the opposition over its handling of the crisis. The far-right Vox party has accused Prime Minister Sánchez of losing control of the situation.
Sánchez has avoided directly accusing Morocco of organizing the influx of migrants. He said there were no intelligence reports proving the direct involvement of the Moroccan authorities.
