Spanish police are investigating the alleged sexual assault of up to ten schoolgirls, some as young as 15, after the pupils reported being plied with alcohol or drugs aboard a cruise ship before the vessel docked in Barcelona on 1 May.
The girls, who all attend the same school in the Basque Country, were travelling on a privately organised four-day Mediterranean cruise when the alleged assaults took place. Eight victims made statements to police in Barcelona, with a further two filing complaints in the Basque Country. The name of the cruise liner has not been made public.
A well-placed source told The Sun: “Police are investigating the possibility the minors were plied with alcohol or narcotics before they were allegedly sexually assaulted. This is being treated as an investigation into possible sexual assaults.” The source was careful to clarify the nature of the alleged offences, adding: “We are not going to specify exactly what allegedly happened but we are not talking here about rape but other types of behaviour which are also criminal.” Under Spanish law, sexual assault covers a broad range of conduct, from inappropriate touching to more serious offences.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that the suspects are adults who were not part of the school group, and that they have been identified and located. Local reports have named the suspects as a couple aged in their 20s, though this has not been officially confirmed by police. No arrests have been made.
The Basque Government’s Security Minister Bingen Zupira confirmed that authorities in the region had received two complaints. A Guardia Civil spokesperson in Barcelona said: “We were made aware of alleged incidents involving minors when the cruise liner docked here on May 1. The possible authors would be adults. Officers received several complaints and have taken a number of statements and an investigation is ongoing. A local court has been informed and it will be up to the court to determine what happens next.”
Barcelona is understood to have served as both the departure and return point for the four-day voyage.
