At least four Moroccan minors under 14 have received hospital treatment for alleged sexual assaults as reception facilities in Ceuta struggle with overcrowding
At least four girls under 14 have been treated for alleged sexual assaults in the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, after a massive migrant influx overwhelmed reception facilities in the area and left minors sleeping on the streets, Euronews has reported.
The victims are reportedly Moroccan minors who entered Ceuta during the unprecedented migration surge in late July, the outlet said on Sunday, citing medical officials.
A boy is also believed to be among the victims, while medical sources warned that the true number could be higher as cases remain unreported. A total of more than a dozen patients with injuries consistent with sexual assault have reportedly been treated so far at Ceuta University Hospital.
Susana Ascaso, an accident and emergency doctor at the hospital, confirmed to the outlet that her department has treated multiple suspected rape cases involving underage migrants. She said many are girls under 14 forced to live on the streets because reception centers are full.
“It is not that they do not want to take them in, there is simply no room for them,” Ascaso said. She described the wider situation as a “health catastrophe,” warning that overwhelmed emergency services have little capacity to screen new arrivals for diseases.
El Pais earlier reported that police are investigating at least five alleged rapes of minors. The victims reportedly have injuries consistent with sexual assault. No arrests have been announced, and the authorities have not disclosed the circumstances of the alleged attacks.
Abdellah Mustafa, head of the Sidi Embarek district Residents’ Association in southern Ceuta, told the outlet that locals have turned a futsal court into a makeshift refuge specifically for migrant girls. At least 50 arrived on the first day, with the number reaching 200 within two days and overwhelming the facility. Mustafa said some girls arrive in shock after presumably being assaulted, which prompted residents to bring in a psychologist and lawyer to assist them.
UK-based non-profit Save the Children sounded the alarm over the situation last week, warning that migrant girls and adolescents face a heightened risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation due to gaps in identification, accommodation, and protection. Earlier reports said the authorities Ceuta were processing around 900 unaccompanied migrant minors, who receive special protection under Spanish law and legally cannot be immediately returned.
An unprecedented influx
More than 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30-31, many by swimming or crossing coastal breakwaters – a figure equivalent to roughly 70% of the exclave’s regular population. The influx overwhelmed reception centers, hospitals, and law enforcement. At least 100 people reportedly died, many while attempting the crossing by sea, while Madrid deployed troops and accelerated returns. Most of those who entered have since been sent back, but between 3,000 and 5,000 remain on Spanish territory, according to local officials.
The surge came shortly after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be immediately deported. Spanish officials have accused criminal trafficking networks of exploiting the ruling through viral social media campaigns falsely claiming the country’s borders were open.
The crisis has fueled tensions within the EU, where migration has long been a contentious issue. Twenty-two EU leaders signed a letter accusing Spain of undermining the bloc’s border security, while several called for the country to be removed from the Schengen borderless travel zone. Italy introduced temporary checks on travelers arriving from Spain on August 1, and France tightened border security. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back, calling the actions of his European neighbors “selfish.”
