The two accused of prostituting women in Lanzarote acquitted

The Court of Instruction of San Bartolomé reveals that the women who practiced prostitution claimed to do so "voluntarily" and that "they had operating rules"

February 21 2024 (12:37 WET)
Updated in February 21 2024 (19:13 WET)
Operation of the Civil Guard in Arrecife. Photo: José Luis Carrasco.
Operation of the Civil Guard in Arrecife. Photo: José Luis Carrasco.

The Court of Instruction number one of San Bartolomé de Tirajana has provisionally dismissed and archived the case for the crime of human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes and under which at least two people were arrested in Lanzarote. 

Operation Rupejini is an operation by the Civil Guard of Las Palmas carried out in Arrecife (Lanzarote) and in San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) that investigated the alleged crime of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, money laundering and membership of a criminal organization. 

The man and woman arrested in Arrecife and defended by the law firm Fuenmayor Abogados of Lanzarote have been acquitted. The same has happened with the rest of the people accused in Gran Canaria, except those linked to an alleged case of inducing the prostitution of minors.

In this line, the Court resolves that there are no "sufficient indications of criminality to impute to the people who run the houses", where prostitution is practiced, "a crime of human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes" and justifies that with their statements they showed that "they practiced prostitution voluntarily and not coerced, nor under threats." 

Thus, although the judicial body has confirmed that the women practiced prostitution in those spaces, the Spanish Penal Code does not recognize it as a crime. "They exercised it knowing that they were going to carry out said activity and not deceived with false jobs and that others voluntarily decided on said activity" captured by web pages. 

In addition, according to their statements, the majority of the registered houses the women had "operating rules": they could reject clients and they were paid from 40 to 60%, according to what they had agreed. They had to "be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week" to attend to clients and return before 6:00 p.m.

Despite this, the workers revealed that "some of the girls must not have been satisfied to be there, but they do not know who they were and the reason for it." Thus, they denied physical abuse as punishment and that their passport or documentation was withheld to prevent their departure. 

As the crime of human trafficking could not be confirmed, the Court of Instruction resolves that "it is also not proven that such illicit profits exist." The same occurs with the crime of belonging to a criminal organization since, despite the fact that some women moved from the nightclubs of Gran Canaria to the Casa Alicia premises in Arrecife, they did not indicate that they had been forced to move and even "some of them" knew that they were going to be there for 21 days and then changed premises. 

A case between Gran Canaria and Lanzarote

The procedure began in March 2023 with the complaint of a woman who accused a person known as Benito of assaulting her and sexually exploiting her in a nightclub in Vecindario (Gran Canaria). As a result of said complaint, a police investigation was initiated by the Homicide Persons Team of the Organic Unit of the Benemérita and resulted in the arrest of several people between Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. 

As a result of the telephone interceptions, on October 2, the entry and search of nine nightclubs was agreed. Among them, two homes located in Arrecife and a premises on Calle Puerto Rico in the capital. Within the framework of this operation, the Civil Guard arrested the two managers of the establishment and released the women who practiced prostitution in said premises.

The detainees were brought to judicial disposition and were released provisionally with precautionary measures such as the retention of the passport, the prohibition of leaving the island and the obligation to appear every 15 days before the Court. 

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is still studying a case of the crime of promoting the prostitution of minors in one of the nightclubs of Gran Canaria. Specifically, against the sentimental partner of the minor's father, who allegedly induced the young woman to practice prostitution. 

Civil Guard operation in Arrecife. Photo: José Luis Carrasco.
The Civil Guard arrests two people in Lanzarote in an operation against human trafficking
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