Aug 01 - Sea Rescue - Four Moroccan Teenagers Remanded In Custody
Four Moroccan teenagers who were rescued at sea, and then arrested for being in Gibraltar without a valid permit or visa, were remanded in custody after appearing before the Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The four teens, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were part of a group of seven rescued in the early hours of Friday near the Detached Mole.
Patrick Canessa, who appeared for the teenagers, said his clients had indicated they would be entering a not guilty plea and he applied for bail on their behalf.
He said the group made their way to Tangier and then to Spain on a boat to look for work. He said that the person who helped them sail across the Strait told them to “jump into the water and swim for it” because this was the furthest he could take them.
Mr Canessa said there were two 15-year-olds, one 16-year-old and one 17-year-old who claimed he was fleeing from his abusive father in Casablanca in Morocco. The teen showed him the bruises on his body to reinforce this point.
Prosecutor Mark Clive Zammit said he would recommend the refusal of bail on the basis that the individuals had not yet been identified. He argued that they did not have a fixed abode in Gibraltar.
Mr Canessa said the teenagers had a statutory right to bail and asked for it to be granted, adding that the youngsters had been kept in cells since Saturday morning and were not given the opportunity to speak to a lawyer. He said they were young teenagers who cried because they were very worried following a traumatic experience.
The Lay Magistrates rejected the bail application, saying that it was with a “heavy heart” that they would not be able to grant bail.
Three adults, who were also represented by Mr Canessa, were also among the group of those rescued at sea. Their bail application was rejected on the basis that they aren’t ordinarily resident in Gibraltar.
It was in the early hours of Friday morning when the Gibraltar Port pilot boat rescued three adults and four juveniles in total, with three needing to be treated for hypothermia. The Port Authority was alerted to their presence in the water by a nearby tanker.
The group was then arrested and taken to New Mole House Police Station where they were charged with being non-Gibraltarians in Gibraltar without a valid permit.
Investigations are underway to establish and confirm the identities of the individuals and they were all remanded in custody and will reappear before the Magistrates’ Court on 8th August.
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