Palma schools uncover six family abuse cases since November

At least six children in Palma told teachers they were being abused by people close to them during the past school year. Since last November, reports from schools have led National Police to eight victims and six arrests over alleged sexual and physical assaults. Most of those affected were girls aged between three and 16.

For some children, school is the only place outside home where they build trust with an adult, said Eduardo Pérez, head of the Family and Women’s Care Unit, known as UFAM, at the National Police headquarters in the Balearic Islands. The alleged abusers were often those expected to protect them, including parents, uncles and family friends.

Reports that led to arrests

One nine-year-old girl spoke to teachers after a talk at her school. Officers later arrested a man suspected of sexually abusing his niece.

In another case, a girl told staff that a family friend had allegedly sexually abused her for two years while threatening her. In Manacor, Mallorca, a 16-year-old approached teachers after class and said her father had allegedly abused her at home for three years. Police arrested a man in April.

In June, officers arrested a 20-year-old accused of sexually abusing his three-year-old brother after the child told staff at his escoleta, or early-years school, what had happened.

What happens after a child speaks out

A child’s report at school can trigger different safeguarding steps, depending on the alleged abuse and who is involved. Where the suspected abuser lives with the child, police say preventing further contact is the immediate priority. If the person is a more distant relative or neighbour, parents are told first and medical care is then considered.

The process can lead to a formal report at a police station and an investigation by police and the courts. Very young children do not always have to give evidence themselves: relatives or teachers may speak to investigators instead.

The Balearic Islands plans to introduce the Barnahus model, with safe spaces where children can give evidence, undergo forensic examinations and receive psychological and medical care. Pérez said the aim is for children not to have to attend a police station or court once the project begins.

Hospitals can also raise the alarm. In Palma in May, police arrested a man and a woman suspected of abusing their two children after one of them spoke at a hospital. Hospitals automatically send injury reports to a court, even when the person affected does not want to file a complaint, Pérez said.

Topics: Police · Education · Social affairs · Health · Palma · Manacor

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com