Since opening on January 1, Madrid’s new court for cases involving violence against children and adolescents has received 3,751 cases, far beyond what its small team can handle. Magistrate Raquel Rodríguez, who took charge in February, works with just four prosecutors and around ten staff members as new files continue to arrive. Limited resources force Rodríguez to take stacks of paperwork home daily. The routine shows the strain on Spain’s judicial system as it seeks to protect minors.
The court forms part of a specialized jurisdiction established in Spain’s Organic Law on the Judiciary. Article 89 bis assigns these sections criminal cases involving violence or intimidation against minors. That remit covers homicide and bodily injury, as well as torture and sexual offences. It also includes crimes against privacy and family relations. The law authorizes protective measures for child victims, without displacing the authority of the duty judge. Article 90 provides for one or more specialized judicial posts in criminal sections information from the number of matters handled by the violence sections. It ties specialization to caseload rather than setting a uniform staffing formula.
Unlike other specialized courts, such as those for gender violence, the new section was created under the recent Law of Procedural Efficiency to address crimes against minors. Similar courts now operate in Barcelona, Málaga and Madrid, while Las Palmas served as the model after its earlier launch. Madrid’s court, but, began operating without basic infrastructure: Rodríguez arrived to find an empty office without even a computer, and the team faced a backlog from day one.
EL PAÍS reports that the court’s workload dwarfs that of other specialized sections: gender violence courts have processed just over 1,300 cases, while instruction courts have handled around 2,100. Of the more than 3,700 cases received, the team handling cases involving children has processed over 2,000. Some were dismissed quickly; others were referred to social services. Cases keep coming, and hearings are now being scheduled as far ahead as January next year.
Figures published by Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) offer context for the workload facing specialized courts, though they measure a different jurisdiction. Across Spain, courts recorded 55,712 gender-violence complaints in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.8% year on year. In Madrid, courts handling violence against women received 9,988 complaints and recorded 8,818 women victims during the same quarter, increases of 24.9% and 25.8%, respectively. These gender-violence statistics are distinct from the caseload of sections investigating violence against children and adolescents.
Rodríguez says schools and families, along with neighbors, are quick to report suspected abuse, but the judicial system is ill-equipped to handle the volume. The court lacks its own forensic doctor and a dedicated legal administrator, roles considered standard in other courts. Until recently, it could not even hold expedited hearings. Staff say the shortage of personnel and resources is unsustainable. Many work well beyond official hours to keep up.
Daily operations are intense. Rodríguez typically arrives before 8:30 a.m. and leaves after 4 p.m., often carrying unresolved files home. The schedule includes sensitive interviews with minors, which must be conducted in special rooms with psychologists present, as required by law. On a typical day, Rodríguez may oversee rapid trials and urgent protection requests, alongside multiple witness statements, while managing a growing backlog.
Support staff, including psychologists and social workers, stress the complexity of each case. Reports often require input from schools and families, with therapists also contributing. A single interview with a parent can sometimes last three hours. Many decisions go beyond determining guilt or innocence: they involve placing children in protective systems and arranging ongoing monitoring by municipal police.
Despite the high stakes, the court’s physical and human resources remain inadequate. The regional government recently approved 20 additional staff members, expected to start in September, and the Ministry of Justice has authorized a second judge for the court. Requests for temporary reinforcements during August were denied, but, fueling tensions between regional and national authorities over planning and responsibility.
The pressure on Madrid’s court reflects broader challenges in Spain’s approach to child protection. A lack of infrastructure and staff delays justice and puts vulnerable minors’ well-being at risk. The situation also recalls debates in other sectors, including recent discussion of postpartum recovery in elite sports after Ana Peleteiro returned to training just days after childbirth, which raised questions about institutional support and resource allocation.
Spain’s specialized courts for minors are still in their infancy, and the Madrid experience points to a need for investment and coordination. As reported cases increase, the courts’ ability to handle cases involving children and adolescents fairly and on time, with sensitivity, will depend on whether authorities provide the necessary tools and personnel.
Spain’s judicial system has undergone several reforms in recent years to address specific types of violence and protect vulnerable groups. The creation of specialized courts for gender violence two decades ago set a precedent, but the rapid increase in cases involving minors now tests the limits of these reforms. Ongoing administrative disputes between regional and national governments further complicate the response, leaving frontline staff to manage the consequences. Madrid’s experience offers a warning for other regions as Spain continues to adapt its legal structure to child protection.
