On Friday night in Madrid’s Hortaleza district, police detained a minor migrant residing at a local temporary accommodation center on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl in Clara Eugenia Park. The incident occurred near the facility where the suspect lives. Reports of the victim’s screams came from local residents, which enabled authorities to promptly detain the young man.
Immediately after the incident, a heated public and political debate erupted in the Spanish capital. On Sunday evening, two masked individuals attacked two residents of the Hortaleza center, who were accompanied by a third person. One of the victims was hospitalized. Authorities link this incident to rising tensions surrounding the discussion of the crime.
The regional government of Madrid announced its intention to include the detainee in a list of 37 minor migrants for whom repatriation has been requested in 2025 due to adaptation issues. Representatives of the autonomous community emphasize that such measures are necessary to maintain order and security, and are urging central authorities to take more active steps to enforce the law.
At the same time, the central government and opposition parties criticize the regional authorities for supporting rhetoric similar to the position of the Vox party, which actively uses the topic of migration for political purposes. After the incident, Vox representatives staged a rally outside the temporary accommodation center, further intensifying public reaction.
According to police, 256 cases of rape have been registered in Madrid since the beginning of the year, but it is this particular incident that has received the most attention in the media and among politicians. Central government officials warn that stigmatizing vulnerable groups could lead to a rise in hate crimes, as happened with Sunday’s attack on teenagers.
A Madrid court ruled to place the detainee in a secure facility for minors. The investigation is ongoing and the case remains under the supervision of the prosecutor’s office.
The Madrid authorities have already filed three lawsuits against the central government’s decisions on the distribution of underage migrants, citing overwhelmed social services and the expected arrival of more than 600 new wards. The region notes that resources for working with migrant children are running out.
Since 2019, 23 cases of repatriating underage migrants have been approved in Spain, with such decisions made solely in the best interests of the child and for family reunification, not as a punishment. Police authorities stress that the deportation of unaccompanied minors is impossible, and return to their home country occurs only with guarantees of protection and support.
Experts note that the policy regarding underage migrants remains a constant source of debate among different levels of government. Every new migrant-related incident sparks heated discussions and further polarizes society.
