Canary Islands Prosecutor seeks legal reform for crimes in international waters

The Prosecutor's Office of the Canary Islands has called on the Spanish Parliament for a legal reform to allow the prosecution of crimes committed on migrant boats in international waters. This request follows a legal impasse in which a judge in Arrecife, Lanzarote, ordered the release of three men accused of raping a woman during a sea crossing.

The suspects, two Malian nationals and one Burkinabé national, were rescued by Salvamento Marítimo on September 16 in an inflatable boat approximately 131 kilometers northeast of Lanzarote. While the victim and a witness corroborated the allegations, the incident occurred in international waters on a vessel without a Spanish flag.

Under current Spanish law, courts only have jurisdiction over crimes committed within national territory or territorial waters. Jurisdiction in international waters is generally limited to cases involving Spanish citizens or Spanish-flagged vessels. Because the alleged crime occurred outside these parameters, the Prosecutor's Office acknowledged its inability to prosecute the case and recommended the suspects' release, highlighting a significant legal gap in addressing sexual violence and murder at sea.