The Governing Chamber of the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands has demanded that the Local Police of Arrecife refrain from performing judicial police functions after detecting serious negligence in the processing of a case of sexual abuse of a minor. The court points out that the municipal body took 17 days to send the court a report on the events, which were initially reported by a school, which may have compromised both the protection of the victim and the criminal investigation.
According to the agreement, the educational center alerted on February 4 about a risk situation for a five-year-old girl, who was allegedly being exposed to pedophilic material, sexual assault and domestic violence. However, the National Police and the duty court did not receive the information until the 21st, a delay that the magistrates consider unacceptable due to the risk of the events being repeated.
The TSJC emphasizes that the Local Police do not have the legal competence to prepare reports in criminal cases, except in urban traffic accidents, and must refer cases to the National Police or the Civil Guard. In addition, it warns that this is not the first time that a similar action has occurred by the Arrecife Minors and Family Unit and asks the mayor to issue clear orders to avoid further irregularities, while raising the complaint to the provincial and national commissions for Coordination of the Judicial Police.
Read the full story in La Provincia