Arabic version: مدّعو سبتة يوثقون اعتداءات جنسية شبه يومية

According to BBC News, Spanish prosecutors have recorded 23 sexual assaults in Ceuta since a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish exclave at the end of July. Nine of the reported assaults were against children, and Ceuta chief prosecutor Silvia Rojas said the total amounted to almost one case every day.

At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. Most have since returned, but prosecutors estimate that as many as 5,000 remain in the autonomous city in North Africa. Rojas said between 1,400 and 1,600 of those remaining are children and that migrant girls are particularly vulnerable because of their irregular status in the territory.

Rojas said the influx had caused an exponential increase in sexual assault and that many victims did not make reports because of fear or their situation in Ceuta. Suspected attackers include four Moroccans, three Spaniards and a Belgian, Efe news agency reported. Emergency doctor Susana Ascaso said last month that Ceuta University Hospital had treated several sexual assault victims, including a 10-year-old child.

Tensions between migrants and local residents have produced scenes of violence in recent days. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a second national security council meeting in a week to address the crisis. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said the cabinet had approved a multi-million-euro aid package for essential services and care for unaccompanied children. Ceuta mayor Juan Jesús Vivas has called for demonstrations across mainland Spain in support of the city.