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Spain Detains 19 Over Alleged Killings on Migrant Boat to Canary Islands

The case turns on protected witness testimony describing superstition-driven attacks during an 11-day voyage from Senegal.

Overview

  • National Police in Gran Canaria say at least 50 people are believed to have been thrown into the sea, with the disappearances under active investigation.
  • The wooden cayuco was located adrift by the coastguard vessel Guardamar Urania, which brought 248 people to Arguineguín; one survivor later died in hospital.
  • Investigators estimate the boat departed Senegal with about 300 people, leading them to calculate more than 50 deaths or disappearances during the crossing.
  • A duty judge in San Bartolomé de Tirajana remanded the 19 detainees on suspicion of trafficking, homicide, wounding and torture, after hearing from four protected witnesses.
  • Survivor accounts describe beatings, shootings and people being accused of witchcraft and thrown overboard, as the Canary Islands reception system faces sustained pressure and local officials press for emergency measures.