Madrid Spain: Anti-migrant protests erupt in holiday hotspot after Moroccan teenager accused of raping a 14-year-old girl

A Moroccan youth was arrested on Friday morning on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old in a park in the Spanish capital. A judge has since ordered that he be held in a closed juvenile prison while inquiries continue.

Following the alleged incident, two hooded individuals attacked three people near First Reception Centre, a facility for young migrants in the Spanish capital. A child required hospital treatment and has since been discharged. Officers are investigating the incident.

Representative of the national government in the Madrid region, Francisco Martín condemned the violence, saying that "hate speech ultimately manifests itself in hate crimes." He pledged to apply the "full force" of the law against the perpetrators.

Following the initial arrest, Isabel Ayuso, the conservative regional government chair, announced her intention to seek the inclusion of the accused among a group of 37 migrant minors labeled as “maladapted” who are being considered for repatriation. Ms Ayuso was criticised by left-wing parties for using a criminal case to further their hardline stance on migration, and said they were aligning with the rhetoric of the hard right-wing Vox party.

Mr Martín said: "Madrid has recorded 256 rapes this year, yet only this case elicits such political zeal...It is unacceptable to criminalise vulnerable populations." However, Vox went further, pushing its anti-immigrant message, calling for a demonstration outside the centre.

Javier Ortega Smith, the party's spokesman in Madrid said: "The sexual assault against a 14‑year‑old in Hortaleza is a consequence of the ‘progressive consensus’ embodied by both the socialist party and the Popular Party. This disastrous policy of open borders...allows violence to become widespread in neighbourhoods hosting these reception centres."