Abascal blames Sánchez for the 37 sexual assault cases in Ceuta: "It falls directly on the traitor who governs"

The data released this Tuesday paints a serious reality. The judicial bodies of Ceuta have opened 37 proceedings for sexual assault crimes between July 30 and September 14. The proceedings affect 39 victims, 38 women and one man. Fourteen of the victims are minors.

Santiago Abascal's reaction was not long in coming. The leader of the far-right Vox has used the figures to personally blame Pedro Sánchez and extend suspicion over migrants who arrived in Ceuta. "He cares a lot about the well-being of the invaders, but he doesn't care at all about the suffering of the women they rape. The responsibility for each rape falls directly on the traitor who governs," he wrote on X.

The message adds a conclusion to the judicial report that it does not contain. The note from the General Council of the Judiciary does not identify the nationality or administrative status of those investigated. Nor does it establish that the alleged perpetrators are among the people who entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31. The period examined begins on those dates, but this temporal coincidence does not allow for collectively attributing the crimes.

Abascal also speaks of "rapes," while the document groups proceedings for sexual assault crimes and does not detail how many of the 37 investigated cases include penetration. The seriousness of each complaint remains intact. So does the need to precisely manage figures that affect women and girls subjected to a situation of enormous vulnerability.

Thirty victims in ongoing proceedings

The Permanent Commission of the CGPJ learned this Tuesday of the report prepared by its Inspection Service. The six bodies of the Civil and Instruction Section of the Ceuta Court of First Instance initiated the 37 proceedings during the month and a half following the massive entry of migrants.

As of September 14, 28 procedures were still being processed. Another eight had been provisionally archived and one had been added to previous proceedings. A provisional archive allows the investigation to be reopened if new evidence appears, so it does not necessarily equate to a definitive resolution of the case.

The still open cases involve 30 victims, all of them women. Eleven are minors. The report also counts 37 alleged aggressors, all male. Eighteen remain unidentified and the 19 identified are adults.

The opening of preliminary proceedings marks the beginning of a judicial investigation. The facts must still be clarified, the pending responsible parties identified, and it must be determined which cases have sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Speaking of open procedures requires maintaining the presumption of innocence without neglecting the protection and support that victims need.

The partial data that the Prosecutor's Office handled at the end of August also did not support an accusation against a specific nationality. At that time, there were eight men investigated for aggressions committed against migrant people: four Moroccans, three Spaniards, and one Belgian citizen. That snapshot covered fewer cases and cannot be automatically transferred to the report known now, although it already reflected a diverse origin among the identified suspects.

The far-right Vox turns victims into political ammunition

Abascal's message does not dedicate a single line to demanding psychological attention, legal assistance, reception resources, or more means to identify aggressors. Victims immediately disappear from focus and their suffering is turned into a vehicle to launch another attack against Sánchez and present the migrant population as a criminal bloc.

The offensive is especially revealing given the party's own history. Vox has repeatedly called for the repeal of the Comprehensive Law against Gender Violence and the State Pact, in addition to demanding the disappearance of the Ministry of Equality and attacking feminist associations. Now it invokes the defense of women when it can link it to its campaign against immigration.

The immediate needs in Ceuta involve strengthening specialized care, providing safe spaces, and accelerating investigations. In recent weeks, assistance to minors at the crisis center has been expanded, and police unions have demanded more officers and specialized units. The Public Prosecutor's Office also announced a reinforcement of its staff due to the increase in matters related to the crisis.

The political management of security, reception, and public resources is subject to scrutiny and may demand accountability from the different administrations. Criminal authorship is established individually and before the courts. The 28 open proceedings must clarify what happened, locate the 18 suspects still unidentified, and offer a judicial response to the 30 women whose cases remain active.