Minors under guardianship by the Community were drawn into a prostitution network and sexually assaulted, in a case that is currently in court, according to the Regional Department of Social Policy.
One adolescent is 15 years old and the other 13; both come from unstable family situations, which is why the regional government took responsibility for their guardianship. A month after the events, both remain residing in the center located in a Regional municipality that the Department prefers not to identify to protect the minors’ privacy and safety.
In these departments, the division led by the person in charge has stated that the proper response protocols for possible sexual abuse have been applied. The adolescents receive ongoing, comprehensive support from professionals specialized in the field.
There could be more victims
As part of the case, National Police officers arrested two women accused of recruiting these adolescents to have sexual relations with strangers in exchange for money, as well as two men who allegedly assaulted the minors at a residence in a northwestern locality. All four suspects were released with charges after appearing before the on-duty court.
The incident occurred on a Thursday in February when the two girls met the women in the San Andrés neighborhood of Murcia. The women allegedly proposed that they have sex with men for money. The women drove the adolescents in a car to a house where two men were waiting, who sexually assaulted them and gave them 20 euros each after the acts. The women then drove the minors back to Murcia.
The Department’s complaint
Given the sensitive nature of the case, the National Police declined to provide further details. However, closely connected sources indicate that investigators are examining whether there may be additional victims recruited by the same women, who would allegedly belong to a prostitution network exploiting highly vulnerable youths.
From the Social Policy Department, it was reported that the guardianship body filed a report through the center’s management entity, first for the disappearance of the minors and second for the possible sexual abuse involved.
The department, led by Conchita Ruiz, recalled that minors’ protection centers are not detention facilities. Residents may leave to attend studies or participate in extracurricular activities. Weekends allow freedom with a maximum pickup time of 10 p.m.
Similar to the Balearic scandal
During the pandemic year in Mallorca, a similar scandal surfaced when a 13-year-old girl told the police that a group operating on the island recruited girls and young wards to have sex in exchange for drugs and money. The situation had been documented in internal reports of the Mallorca Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS).
The case reached the regional government of the Balearics and moved through the courts. Recently, it emerged that a judicial authority summoned a regional councilor from the government led by Francina Armengol, who was then head of the regional executive and is now a member of Congress, to testify in connection with the case concerning wards. The former councilor, Fina Santiago, who oversaw Social Services, is scheduled to testify in court on a forthcoming date.