Doctor in Spain's Ceuta: 'We're Seeing Raped Girls'
After a mass influx of migrants, the hospital in Ceuta is treating minors suspected of being raped, while children sleep on the streets due to a lack of shelter capacity.
After a mass influx of migrants, the hospital in Ceuta is treating minors suspected of being raped, while children sleep on the streets due to a lack of shelter capacity.
Medical staff at the University Hospital in Ceuta have confirmed that they have treated at least five girls for suspected rape over the past week. All are under 14 years old and arrived in this Spanish exclave from Morocco during a mass migrant wave at the end of July, according to Euronews.
Susana Ascaso, an emergency doctor at the hospital, did not hide the severity of the situation in a statement to the media. "We're seeing raped girls," she said. According to her, these are girls under 14 who are living on the streets because there is simply no room in the minors' reception centers. "It's not that they don't want to take them in; there's just no space for them," Ascaso explained to Euronews.
Medical sources say it is believed that a boy has also been a victim of sexual assault. The actual number of victims could be higher, as some have not yet filed a report. So far, more than a dozen cases consistent with sexual assault have been recorded.
The National Police have opened an investigation into the alleged rape of a minor who entered Ceuta during the mass arrival of migrants. The girl was taken to the hospital, where injuries characteristic of sexual assault were observed. The prosecutor's office announced on Thursday that it is investigating two rape cases, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE, citing local media El Pueblo de Ceuta. No arrests have been made so far, and the circumstances of the events are still being determined.
Doctor Ascaso describes the overall situation as a "health catastrophe." Her department is currently treating an average of 300 to 400 migrants a day, with the same number of staff and resources as before the mass influx. She also warns of the risk of the spread of diseases with epidemic potential, such as tuberculosis or hepatitis, which the emergency department lacks the capacity to detect.
In the makeshift settlement of Sidi Embarek, where around 300 people are crammed together, the president of the neighborhood association, Abdellah Mustafa, describes similar scenes. Some girls arrive there in a state of shock after being sexually assaulted in the hills. Mustafa explains that many do not report the attacks due to their psychological state, which is why local residents have hired a psychologist and a lawyer to support them.
Save the Children warns of the risks faced by unaccompanied migrant minors in Ceuta, particularly regarding human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Jennifer Zuppiroli, a migration expert at the organization, stressed that a teenage girl who is alone and outside the child protection system is extremely vulnerable.
The National Police have prioritized the identification of girls and children under 13. Spain's Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, stated on Friday that authorities will begin relocating children from Ceuta to mainland Spain in the coming weeks to provide them with appropriate assistance.
According to data from Spain's Ministry of the Interior, of the 72,000 migrants who arrived in Ceuta last week, 70,000 have already returned to the Moroccan side. However, humanitarian organizations estimate that more than 2,000 people remain in the city. By Friday, a total of 1,342 unaccompanied migrant minors had been registered.
