The Spanish judicial authorities opened an investigation after circulating a video of police assaulting women carrying Moroccan flags in Ceuta, to celebrate the Moroccan national team’s qualification to the World Cup semi-finals.
The video, which spread on social media, sparked widespread anger, as it documented the moment when women, said to be Moroccan, were subjected to violence by police officers in the city of Melilla, which is under the Spanish administration in northern Morocco.
Occupied Ceuta, members of the local police of the Rapid Intervention Unit assaulted a group of women for raising the Moroccan national flag and celebrating the victory of the Moroccan national team over Nadira Al-Barta’ali. Among the victims was a minor girl who was fractured at the elbow level. pic.twitter.com/Tg58G22QUh
– Harbaz Nabil (@HarbazNabil) December 11, 2022
On the other hand, the local authorities in the city of Ceuta announced, on Monday, the opening of a judicial investigation, with about 60 security personnel of the city’s riot police, against the background of their use of unjustified violence, according to local newspapers.
Lawyer Mourad Al-Agoti had confirmed that he had filed a complaint with Teresa Piramato Martin, the Spanish Public Prosecutor, regarding the assault suffered by 3 Moroccan women of dual nationality, accompanied by a minor, during their celebration of the qualification of the Moroccan national team, where they were subjected to inhumane treatment.
Femmes violentées à Sebta par les forces de l’ordre: Le bureau du procureur general délégué aux violences contre les femmes vient d’adresser ma plainte au chef du secretariat du procureur general de l’état afin d’entamer la procédure. pic.twitter.com/DF9eCxW8eE
– Mourad Elajouti (@Elajouti) December 12, 2022
He explained that the Spanish Public Prosecutor in charge of violence against women referred the aforementioned complaint to the Office of the Attorney General of the State, in order to open an investigation and activate the judicial procedure against the security forces who appeared in a videotape assaulting Moroccan women, according to the electronic newspaper “Hespress”.
He pointed out that this attack took place despite the fact that the victims did not undertake any act of provocation to the Spanish police.