The chief prosecutor of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), Vicente Garrido, warned last Wednesday of an upward trend in criminal acts in the Canary Islands during 2006, according to the 6.39 percent increase recorded in the number of criminal proceedings initiated (231,000), with 14,000 more cases than in 2005.
Garrido, who appeared before the parliamentary committee on Governance and Justice to present the 2006 annual report of the TSJC Prosecutor's Office, indicated that crimes of injury are the ones that increased the most, while crimes against property continue to be the most numerous.
The chief prosecutor, who referred to the difficulty of statistically treating criminal acts due to differences in criteria when collecting data, indicated that of the 231,000 criminal proceedings initiated, 127,594 corresponded to the province of Las Palmas and 103,467 to Tenerife.
He also highlighted the impact and effectiveness of fast trials, since 12,252 urgent proceedings were processed, of which 6,470 reached the qualification stage and half of the latter resulted in a settlement sentence in the same court of instruction and on the same day.
From a qualitative point of view, crimes of injury increased the most in 2006, with increases of 10.88 percent in the province of Las Palmas and 9.18 percent in Tenerife.
Garrido indicated that the increase is due to youth violence, domestic crimes and partner abuse. Thus, he specified that women continue to be repeatedly victimized in family and domestic environments and indicated that increases in this type of crime were recorded in both provinces.
Thus, in Las Palmas, the number of proceedings initiated increased from 2,297 in 2005 to 2,362 during the past year, while in Tenerife it increased from 1,981 in 2005 to 2,068 proceedings in 2006.
However, in 2006, crimes against property were again the most numerous, with 87,301 proceedings initiated, a figure that reflects stability compared to 2005.
Regarding immigration, he stressed that the massive arrivals of immigrants by sea conditioned the actions in 2006 of both the state security forces and the immigration services and the judicial bodies.
In this regard, he referred to the steps taken to propose a legal and administrative reform in the area and highlighted that the recent approval of the modification of article 23 of the organic law of the judiciary as well as other regulations that allow the Spanish justice system to be aware of all crimes that have to do with human trafficking.
More prisons and juvenile centers
Garrido also referred to the "chaotic and truly overcrowded" situation of the Canary Islands prisons, which he considered require reflection and the creation of some new center, especially in the province of Las Palmas.
In this regard, he pointed out that the capacity of the Salto del Negro prison (Gran Canaria) is 600 inmates, and the current prison population far exceeds that figure.
He pointed out that this situation prevents the objective of social reintegration of these people and represents a "double criminalization" of the conduct of these inmates.
He also lamented the situation of juvenile centers with judicial measures, and although he acknowledged that there has been an improvement in 2006 and the new center in Valle Tabares (Tenerife) is a model, he insisted that "it is not enough" and reiterated the need for a new center in Las Palmas.
In this regard, he indicated that the start of a center in Lanzarote is underway and the land has already been awarded for another in Gran Canaria. "There are many minors and we are very much in need of action on them," he said.
Staff increase in 2008
Garrido also pointed out that from January 1, 2008 there will be an increase in the current staff of prosecutors, which will increase from 97 to 104, with the creation of 2 positions in Lanzarote, 3 in the courts of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and 2 in the courts of Arona.
The chief prosecutor acknowledged that this is an insufficient amount, although he valued the "notable" growth of the staff carried out in both prosecutor's offices in the last two years.
In this regard, he indicated that the existing staff as of December 31, 2006 was 94 prosecutors, 51 belonging to the assignments of the province of Las Palmas and the rest to that of the Tenerife province.
Reform of the public prosecutor's office
Likewise, he specified that the statutory reform of the public prosecutor's office also entails a staff expansion of 4 positions, due to the creation of the Superior Prosecutor's Office and the splitting of the two provincial prosecutor's offices.
Regarding this reform, he highlighted that it is the most ambitious carried out and will deeply affect a new territorial deployment and a commitment to specialization to achieve more efficient and effective action.
Thus, he highlighted that the reform adapts the public prosecutor's office to the reality of the state of autonomies and will mean the existence of two differentiated provincial prosecutor's offices on which the prosecutor's office of the Autonomous Community will be located, a new name that will replace the current one.
With this structure, the figure of the superior prosecutor of the autonomous community acquires a new dimension and will be appointed by the Government at the proposal of the State Attorney General. In addition, the Autonomous Justice Council may participate in this procedure and even the candidate himself may appear before the regional Chamber.
He also highlighted that the report will be presented annually to Parliament and stated that this new design should not be understood as an opportunity to use the prosecutor's office as an object of confrontation between political forces, but as a loyal collaboration between public administrations.
ACN Press
