Three men detained for gang-rape on migrant boat rescued off Lanzarote
Spanish police in Arrecife have arrested three men suspected of gang-raping a woman aboard a migrant inflatable boat that was rescued after a deadly Atlantic crossing.
On September 16, an inflatable boat carrying migrants from Tan-Tan, Morocco, set out on a five-day Atlantic crossing to Lanzarote, during which panic caused ten people to fall overboard and a possible death toll of up to 17. Spanish coastguard ships Salvamar Al Nair and Salvamar Acrux rescued 68 survivors and recovered three bodies. After docking in Arrecife, a woman reported that she had been gang-raped by several men on board; a fellow passenger later confirmed witnessing the assault.
Police in Arrecife arrested three men, aged 21, 25 and 30, and placed them in custody while a judge reviews the case. The investigation is being led by the National Police’s Family and Women’s Assistance Unit, with a witness statement supporting the charges. The suspects' nationalities have not been disclosed and the probe remains ongoing.
Why it matters
The case exposes sexual violence and lethal conditions on migrant journeys, prompting legal scrutiny of smuggling routes.
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