A judge in Ceuta has decreed this Sunday provisional imprisonment for the four Moroccan migrants detained for stoning a military patrol and causing minor injuries to a sergeant. After appearing before the judicial authority, the four arrested have been transferred to the Ceuta prison of Fuerte Mendizábal, where they will remain awaiting the evolution of the proceedings.
The attack occurred when an Army patrol was subjected to stone throwing. As a consequence of the aggression, a sergeant was injured with minor injuries. The four suspects were subsequently detained and placed at the judicial disposal.
The detainees deny their participation
During their statements, the four accused denied having participated in the events. According to their version, they would have been confused with other compatriots who were staying in the same area where the incident took place.
The military maintains a different version. According to their account, they did not lose sight of the authors of the attack at any moment, an element that has been taken into account within the opened proceedings and that must be evaluated during the judicial process.
The decision made this Sunday does not imply a conviction, but a precautionary measure while the case continues and the criminal responsibility of each of the investigated is determined.
The Prosecutor's Office requests up to six years in prison
The Prosecutor's Office requests four years in prison for each of the four detainees for a crime of assault and another two years for injuries, which would raise the total request to six years in prison per accused.
The Public Ministry also proposes that, if they are ultimately convicted, the prison sentence be entirely replaced by their expulsion from Spain, accompanied by a prohibition on returning to the country for a period of five years.
This request must be resolved in due course by the competent court and will depend on the outcome of the judicial process, the final qualification of the facts, and the eventual conviction.
Transferred to the prison of Fuerte Mendizábal
After their appearance in court, the four detainees have entered Fuerte Mendizábal in a state of provisional imprisonment. They will remain there while the judicial proceedings advance and until it is determined whether a trial will be held and what responsibility can be attributed to each one.
The procedure is thus opened with two opposing versions: the accused maintain that they were confused with other people, while the military personnel claim to have identified and followed the aggressors during the attack. It will be the judicial investigation that must clarify the facts and decide whether there is sufficient evidence to support the accusations made by the Prosecutor's Office.