Spanish officer accused of exploiting Moroccan minors seeking asylum

The organization Don’t Touch My Child revealed that a Spanish police officer exploited Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for assistance with asylum procedures. The organization strongly condemned the acts, expressed full support for the victims, and affirmed its commitment to pursuing legal action in the case.

The human rights organization Don’t Touch My Child has strongly condemned what it described as «humiliating and unethical practices» involving a Spanish police officer. The condemnation comes after Spanish media revealed this week that the officer had been detained on charges of exploiting Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for facilitating asylum applications or legal status adjustments.

According to the organization, the officer, who worked in immigration centers in both Ceuta and the Canary Islands, held suspicious meetings in hotel rooms where he was staying. He allegedly targeted young Moroccans in vulnerable situations, offering help with their asylum procedures in exchange for sexual favors, gifts, or money. The Supreme Court in Madrid has since suspended him from duty for 90 days as a temporary disciplinary measure.

Supporting the victims

In a statement to Yabiladi, Tayeb Bouchiba, national coordinator for Don’t Touch My Child, said: «The decision of the Spanish judiciary is not strict enough and does not match the gravity of the crime. The accused exploited minors in precarious situations, which constitutes human trafficking». He added, «We condemn this lenient decision».

The organization denounced the acts as a violation of human dignity and migrants’ rights, especially those of minors, and voiced deep concern over the lack of any formal criminal proceedings in a case of such ethical and humanitarian seriousness.

Don’t Touch My Child reaffirmed its full support for any victims wishing to come forward and seek justice, whether through national or international courts, stressing the need to protect migrant minors and uphold their human dignity.

The organization also called for an urgent criminal investigation into the case, not merely an administrative sanction, and urged Spanish authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations to safeguard the rights of migrants, particularly Moroccan minors.

In its conclusion, the organization stated that it is closely monitoring the case and will take all necessary steps to protect Moroccan children wherever they may be, particularly in reception and asylum centers.

Bouchiba added that «this is not the first time Moroccan minors have suffered exploitation in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. What’s different now is that this officer was caught».

He explained that the officer allegedly offered to regularize the legal status of Moroccan minors by assisting them with asylum applications that falsely portrayed them as victims of persecution in Morocco.

According to Bouchiba, the organization, with the help of supporters in Europe, has filed a lawsuit in Spain against the officer, and is urging Spanish civil society organizations to take such cases seriously and work to address them.