Eight years of the Tarajal “tragedy”. Cartoon of 06/02/2020 on CTXT
On 6 February 2014, 15 people had their lives taken on the beach of El Tarajal. They were killed while trying to swim to Ceuta. The agents used rubber bullets, smoke canisters and the corresponding blows to prevent them from setting foot on land.
56 civil guards fired 145 rubber bullets and 5 smoke canisters at a group of about 90 people. From people who were swimming towards the shore, 14 drowned and one simply “disappeared” into the sea.
The judge saw indications to try 16 of the civil guards under investigation for what the media called the “Tarajal tragedy” (as if it were a meteorological agent) for reckless homicide, decided to close the case on the grounds of the botín doctrine. Paradoxical name for a legal doctrine baptised with the name of “exculpado” a banker exculpated.
The judge, who appealed in her order to the basic principle that it is necessary to “defend the borders without leaving people unprotected”, ended up defending a fence more than the lives of 15 people. And in a symbolic way, he rewarded the civil guards who killed them by closing the case
Cartoon of 03/11/2019 in CTXT
Incidentally, as there was no private prosecution, the NGOs were prevented from being able to appear as prosecutors. Two injustices in one, 15 deaths without “owner” or responsible and future legal actions were blocked.
