Spanish police arrest two men over alleged assault of 17-year-old at Ceuta migrant camp
Spanish National Police arrested two Moroccan men aged 42 and 21 on Saturday after an alleged assault on a 17-year-old migrant on Ceuta's Trampolín beach, where over 3,000 people live in a makeshift settlement.
Emergency response on Trampolín beach
Spanish National Police officers arrested two Moroccan men on Saturday, 26 September 2026, on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old Moroccan girl at an informal settlement on Trampolín beach in Ceuta. Members of the Police Intervention Unit (UIP) deployed to the makeshift encampment around 12:00 after witnesses reported hearing minors screaming in the area. Officers discovered the 17-year-old teenager emerging from a tent in severe physical distress. According to the police incident report, the girl was semi-conscious, struggled to stand, suffered cuts to her face and leg, and was bleeding from her genitals. The report also indicated symptoms consistent with the ingestion of an incapacitating substance. The victim fainted in the presence of officers and lost consciousness completely. One officer initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and after a relapse, police administered CPR for approximately three minutes to stabilize her before transferring her to the University Hospital of Ceuta (HUCE).
- Mass migrant crossing creates informal settlement on Trampolín beach
- Minor experiences initial altercation at the beach encampment
- Police respond to shouting minors, revive victim with CPR, and arrest two suspects
- Victim scheduled to appear before the prosecutor and judicial authorities
Medical evaluation and police custody
Hospital staff activated the standard protocol for victims of sexual offenses upon her arrival. While police documentation treated the case as an alleged rape and assault, medical reports cited by Spanish news outlets indicated that clinical examinations did not confirm that a sexual assault was fully consummated. The victim had previously experienced a similar altercation at the beach settlement on Friday, 25 September. Although the teenager had previously expressed reluctance to reside in youth shelters, authorities placed her in an autonomous city reception center for minors to ensure her safety overnight. Officers arrested two Moroccan citizens, aged 42 and 21, at the scene and transferred them to police headquarters. Both men had entered Ceuta during a mass border crossing on 30 and 31 July 2026. When questioned by investigators, both suspects declined to give statements regarding the event, claiming only that they did not know the victim.
Camp conditions and judicial proceedings
The case is moving through the legal system under coordinated judicial supervision to determine the precise circumstances and the individual involvement of each detainee. The 17-year-old victim is scheduled to appear before the prosecutor and judicial authorities on the morning of Sunday, 27 September 2026, to ratify her statement. The incident occurred in a makeshift coastal settlement where more than 3,000 migrants remain crowded under precarious conditions following the mass entry of late July. Police authorities have reported multiple violent episodes in the encampment in recent weeks, including knife attacks, robberies, and other criminal offenses. Local authorities have conducted several operations to relocate residents from both Trampolín and Benítez beaches into designated temporary reception facilities across the autonomous city.
