The seven individuals implicated in a canoe incident resulting in the deaths of four migrants aboard the aforementioned vessel have entered provisional custody awaiting their trial.
The incident occurred on November 1, just two days prior to the ship’s arrival in El Hierro, carrying 207 people. Sources consulted by EL DÍA indicate that all the victims were from Senegal, and after suffering violent deaths, they were discarded overboard.
The investigation that elucidated these events was conducted by agents from the Information Service of the Civil Guard in the Canary Islands.
On the afternoon of November 3, a substantial wooden boat reached La Restinga dock under its own power. Onboard were 191 adult males, approximately a dozen females, and eight presumed minors.
The overwhelming majority of these undocumented immigrants hailed from Senegal and Gambia, with some also originating from Guinea Conakry and Mali.
One adult male sustained a severe injury from a stab wound to the chest, necessitating hospitalisation and surgery due to the depth of the wound.
Officials from the Armed Institute became aware of the situation and began procuring details to determine the circumstances surrounding this violent episode.
Several individuals who were aboard the craft and witnessed the events reported that one occupant became disoriented and extremely distressed. Subsequently, three of the individuals responsible for maintaining order on the vessel approached him in an aggressively violent manner.
A number of the migrants intervened on his behalf, leading to the seven skippers of the canoe allegedly administering a punishment to ensure no further threats to the success of the voyage or escalation occurred. According to the proceedings, four of those involved were murdered and subsequently thrown into the sea.
Investigators from the Information Service gathered the evidence necessary to apprehend the seven accused at the temporary reception centre for foreigners in Las Raíces, located in La Laguna (Tenerife). All those detained share Senegalese nationality, the same as the deceased.
Following three weeks of investigation, the arrests took place in the last week of November, though the news only emerged this past Sunday. On November 28, the accused were presented to Judicial Court number 2 of La Laguna.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested the provisional detention of those apprehended, and the judicial authority ratified their remand in custody based on the evidence provided.
The aforementioned judicial body in La Laguna has already transferred the case to the Court of First Instance and Instruction in Valverde, El Hierro, which will now oversee the investigation conducted by the Civil Guard. This decision stems from the fact that the accused landed within the jurisdiction of Valverde.
