Surge in Sexual Offences Reported in the Canary Islands
Recent statistics reveal a troubling rise in sexual offences across the Canary Islands, as highlighted by Chief Prosecutor María Farnés Martínez during her annual report to the regional Parliament.
Notable Increases in Sexual Offences
In 2024, the Canary Islands experienced a significant escalation in sexual offences, with the province of Las Palmas reporting a 15% increase and Santa Cruz de Tenerife seeing a 7% rise. This marks a reversal from the trends observed in the previous year.
Clarification on Crime Trends
Martínez addressed concerns regarding the potential connection between the rise in sexual offences and irregular migration. She emphasized that there is no concrete evidence linking these crimes to the influx of migrants. Furthermore, she noted that the implementation of the “only yes means yes” law in 2023 has led to the reclassification of certain offences under sexual freedom, contributing to the observed statistical increase.
Comparative Analysis of Offences
When examining data from 2017, sexual offences have surged by 81% in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and by 87% in Las Palmas. The Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged that some offences remain unspecified in the statistics, complicating the identification of offender profiles.
Judicial Activity on the Rise
The year 2024 has seen a total of 165,218 judicial procedures initiated, reflecting a 17% increase in Las Palmas and an 8% increase in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Additionally, there has been a rise in offences related to physical integrity, with 2,448 reports of injuries in Las Palmas and 1,093 in Tenerife. However, homicide rates have decreased, with 54 reported in Las Palmas and 56 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Property Crimes Decline
In contrast to the rise in sexual offences, property crimes have decreased by 24%, dropping from 24,772 cases to 23,205. Despite this decline, there has been a slight uptick in sexual offences involving minors under 16, primarily related to consensual relationships in unstable environments.
Concerns Over Gender-Based Violence
Martínez expressed concerns regarding the effectiveness of the Cometa programme, which aims to protect victims of gender-based violence. She highlighted issues stemming from the regionalization of the judicial system in Tenerife, which forces many women to travel to courts that lack adequate support facilities.
Human Trafficking and Immigration Issues
In response to human trafficking and immigration law cases, 25 additional prosecutors have been assigned to handle age assessments and referrals for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum.
Conditions in Migrant Centres
The Temporary Foreigners’ Reception Centres in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, and El Hierro have been described as “obsolete,” with poor conditions and a lack of legal regulation. Martínez pointed out that unaccompanied migrant minors have often been misclassified as adults, leaving them vulnerable after being released by the courts.
Rising Cases Among Minors
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, there have been 15 files opened for foreign minors concerning offences outside of centres, and 12 within, involving various issues such as insults, threats, drugs, and a minor assault on a teacher. The prosecutor has called for more frequent inspections of minors’ centres, as not all inspections are conducted as required by law.
Challenges in Child Welfare
The Prosecutor’s Office has raised alarms over the increasing number of abandoned children in the Canary Islands, particularly those aged between 3 and 6 years in residential care, which is considered inappropriate. Additionally, around 600 elderly patients remain hospitalized due to a lack of social-healthcare spaces, a responsibility that falls under Health and Social Welfare.
Need for Judicial Reforms
In 2024, there were 10,109 compliance judgments issued, marking a 20% increase from the previous year, alongside 11,385 trials held, a 1% rise from 2023. The prosecutor has advocated for the introduction of mediation systems to address the increase in petty crimes and has condemned the poor conditions in the cells of Tenerife II and Santa Cruz de La Palma. There is also an urgent call for a new courthouse in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, similar to the one in Las Palmas.
Key points
- Sexual offences in the Canary Islands rose by 15% in Las Palmas and 7% in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2024.
- There is no evidence linking the rise in sexual offences to irregular migration.
- Compared to 2017, sexual offences have increased by 81% in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and 87% in Las Palmas.
- Judicial procedures initiated in 2024 reached 165,218, a 17% increase in Las Palmas.
- Property crimes decreased by 24%, from 24,772 to 23,205 cases.
- Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the Cometa programme for protecting victims of gender-based violence.
- Conditions in Temporary Foreigners’ Reception Centres have been described as obsolete.
