Legal proceedings are underway in three separate cases of sexual assault, including against two girls, in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta – amid warnings that 4,000 migrant children could be outside the protection system.
Both the alleged perpetrators and the survivors are believed to be migrants who crossed the border into Ceuta during the mass arrival of up to 80,000 people two weeks ago.
Two of the suspects, accused of touching a minor and of raping a minor, with an additional allegation of drug trafficking, are in custody.
Another, accused of touching an adult woman, is due to be deported to Morocco, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia said.
It comes amid concern for thousands of migrant children that remain homeless and outside the protection system. Some are as young as 9, according to Save the Children.
While the majority of the migrants who crossed into the Spanish territory were returned to Morocco, according to Spain, most unaccompanied minors either cannot be returned as they are protected by child welfare laws.
While around 1,500 children and adolescents are within the protection system, an estimated 4,000 are not. Some are waiting to be identified and referred, but others are sleeping on the streets, exposed to violence, exploitation and trafficking, aid organisations warned.
Images of children sleeping rough on Ceuta's streets, and reports of parents searching for missing children, have caused outrage. Meanwhile, Moroccan media reported that calls for a fresh mass crossing on Saturday have been circulating on social media, raising fears of a worsening crisis.
At least 100 people were killed during the last mass crossing, according to Ceuta’s leader.
The Moroccan Interior Ministry said on Thursday that security monitoring had been reinforced in areas close to both crossings, while Spanish authorities warned that the border remained closed.
Save the Children told The Independent it is “extremely concerned about the risk of sexual violence, exploitation and trafficking” of unaccompanied children.
As well as a lack of access to sufficient food and safe shelter, there is a lack of adequate hygiene and healthcare. Girls have reported urinary infections, StC said. For those in emergency shelters in local warehouses, food may be limited to one meal a day.
“The situation remains extremely concerning,” said Raúl Arnaiz, director of Spanish programmes for StC, who is currently in Ceuta. “[Our] team on the ground has observed significant gaps in access to food, hygiene products and adequate sanitation.”
Many of the children who arrived at the enclave have taken complex journeys to get there, sometimes through multiple countries and from countries affected by conflict and serious humanitarian crises.
Omar, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, a teenager from Sudan, is now living on a beach in Ceuta. He travelled for a year and half, through Algeria, Libya, Chad and Morocco, before arriving at the enclave.
The minors may eventually be transferred to Spain, however.
"I think it might only be a matter of a few weeks before we start seeing (minors) transferred to and welcomed on the mainland,” Youth Minister Sira Rego has said.
“The situation in Ceuta is tragic,” the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said, adding that they are deploying additional personnel to Andalusia due to the high number of people requiring assistance.
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