Three Men Arrested After Alleged Gang Rape on Migrant Dinghy
The incident occurred during an Atlantic crossing where over a dozen people are believed to have died.
Spanish police have arrested three men, aged 21, 25, and 30, in connection with the alleged gang rape of a woman aboard a migrant dinghy during an Atlantic crossing. The woman reported the ordeal after the vessel reached Lanzarote on September 16, arriving by Spanish coastguard rescue.
The alleged attack reportedly took place at high sea on an inflatable dinghy. A witness also came forward to police, providing a statement after confirming they had seen the sexual assault.
The incident occurred on the same day that 65 survivors were rescued from an inflatable boat, and three bodies were recovered from the water. Those on board the dinghy are believed to have been sub-Saharan individuals who departed from Tan-Tan in southwestern Morocco. Survivors told authorities that an additional 10 people had gone overboard during the crossing, and they had run out of water during the latter part of their five-day journey.
NGOs assisting the migrants after their arrival on European soil have indicated that the number of missing individuals could be around 14, potentially bringing the death toll for that day to 17.
Some victims reportedly ended up in the sea during the rescue operation as panic ensued among the boat's occupants when Spanish coastguard vessels approached. A spokesperson for the National Police stated that officers in Arrecife arrested the three men as alleged perpetrators of a multiple sexual assault. The incident took place at sea, believed to be in international waters.
Following disembarkation at the port of Arrecife, the victim informed rescue services about the assault. She received initial assistance and specialized care as a victim at police premises. The investigation has been led by officers from the National Police's Family and Women's Assistance Unit. The three detainees have been remanded in prison following their court appearance. Their nationalities have not yet been revealed, and an investigating judge is leading a criminal probe.
Earlier reports from Spanish coastguards detailed the rescue of 82 sub-Saharan people aboard an inflatable boat located approximately 77 nautical miles from Arrecife. The rescue operation involved two vessels, which rescued 63 and 19 people respectively, and recovered three bodies. One individual in critical condition was evacuated by helicopter. The final tally confirmed 68 sub-Saharan people assisted, including 41 men, 4 women, and 3 deceased from one vessel, and 15 men and 4 women from the other.
This incident follows other investigations into alleged sexual assaults on migrant boats. In September of the previous year, police were investigating an alleged double rape on a migrant boat that reached Ibiza, where two minors reported being sexually assaulted by two men during a crossing from Africa. Separately, in the same period, authorities in Gran Canaria were investigating allegations of torture and people being thrown overboard from a migrant boat, with accusations of witchcraft being cited by people smugglers. Several arrests were made in connection with that case.