The investigation proceedings of the Las Palmas Prosecutor's Office recorded more than fifty environmental crimes in 2023. Among the main crimes, the Public Prosecutor's Office investigated crimes against land planning and the environment. In addition, there were fifty crimes against public health. This is stated in its report on criminal procedural activity, which is based on actions committed between January and December of last year.
Among other investigation proceedings, the following stand out: those carried out against the public administration (39), against public order (23), against property (19), of injuries (17), falsehoods (17), torture and other crimes against moral integrity (17), against traffic safety (14), against the Public Treasury and against Social Security (eleven), and against freedom (ten).
To a lesser extent, the Prosecutor's Office has initiated investigation proceedings in cases of special laws and electoral crimes (one), against collective security (one), against the administration of Justice (three), against the rights of workers (five), against the Constitution (five) and against sexual freedom (seven).
Provisional imprisonment
During 2023, the Public Prosecutor's Office requested provisional imprisonment for those accused of committing crimes against Property (64), against the rights of foreign citizens (62), for robbery with violence and intimidation (45), drug trafficking with serious damage to health (34), homicide and its forms (25), injuries (22), against sexual freedom (17).
To a lesser extent, provisional imprisonment was also ordered for breach of sentences or precautionary measures (eleven), domestic and gender violence, in the context of habitual abuse (six), against public order (two), for trespassing (one) and for assault (one).
Classification of crimes
In addition to the direct investigations carried out by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Prosecutor's Office is responsible for assessing the facts, classifying them and specifying its position in the judicial procedure. While throughout the country, it issued 327,000 qualifications, in the province of Las Palmas it carried out a total of 7,737 qualifications of judicial cases. The majority of them were urgent proceedings (5,101) and abbreviated procedures (2,516). Summaries (105) and qualification briefs in cases with a Jury Court (15) were given in smaller numbers.
Throughout the past year, a total of 5,868 trials for minor offenses were held in the province of Las Palmas, which required the intervention of the Public Prosecutor's Office. To this are added the trials before the Criminal Court in abbreviated proceedings and urgent proceedings (2,411) and those held before the Provincial Court in abbreviated proceedings, summaries and juries (279).
Of the crimes mentioned by the Public Prosecutor's Office in its qualification briefs, the most frequent were crimes against traffic safety (3,514), crimes against property (2,170) or driving without a license or permit (1,534). To this are added the crimes of breach of sentence or precautionary measure (975) or crimes against freedom.
To a lesser extent, the Public Prosecutor's Office classified the crime against public order (479), crimes against sexual freedom (149), drug trafficking with serious damage to health (126) and without serious damage to health (96), as well as against the rights of foreign citizens (72) and against land planning, historical heritage and the environment (66).
In addition, it has also pointed out several crimes of disobedience to authorities or officials (45), homicide and its forms (33), torture and other crimes against moral integrity (26), against privacy (22), against the rights of workers (eleven), against the Public Treasury and against Social Security (nine).
Judgments in the Courts of Las Palmas
The Courts of Instruction resolved a total of 6,155 cases that resulted in a conviction after reaching an agreement.
Thus, the Criminal Courts of the Canary province issued 3,310 judgments throughout the past year. Of these, 89% were in accordance with the position of the Public Prosecutor's Office and 61% were convictions after reaching an agreement between the Prosecutor's Office and the accused. In addition, there were 2,866 convictions during that time.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Court of Las Palmas issued 279 judgments during 2023. Of these, 85% were in accordance with the position of the Public Prosecutor's Office and 59% were convictions by agreement. In total, 238 cases ended in conviction.
