Woman freed in Zaragoza from forced marriage; her parents and brother arrested
The National Police rescued a woman in Zaragoza who was to be forcibly married to a man 40 years her senior. Her parents and a brother were arrested.
Zaragoza: woman freed after years of isolation and forced marriage
The National Police freed a woman in Zaragoza who had been subjected to years of isolation, control and violence by her family, which had planned to relocate her outside Spain to force her to marry a man approximately 40 years older than her, according to lavanguardia.com.
The operation resulted in the arrest of three family members—her parents and a brother—on suspicion of involvement in offences that could constitute human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage, forced marriage, coercion and domestic violence.
The call to 091 triggers police intervention
Police action began on 13 August, when a call to the CIMACC 091 emergency line reported that a woman had asked for help at a commercial establishment after escaping from her family home. Officers from the Citizen Security unit who attended the scene confirmed the particularly vulnerable situation she was in.
According to the victim's account, her family had prohibited her from continuing her studies when she turned 16, from working or leaving the house alone. The few times she was allowed to go out were always accompanied by a family member. She also could not freely use a mobile phone, which prevented any contact with people outside her family circle.
Additionally, she had allegedly been forced to take charge of domestic chores and had suffered threats and physical assaults when she opposed decisions imposed by the family.
The UCRIF detects signs of human trafficking
Given the seriousness of the facts, the woman was taken to police premises, where specialised officers from the UCRIF of the Provincial Brigade for Immigration and Borders assessed whether the facts could constitute an offence of human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage.
The investigation revealed that the family had already chosen her future husband, a person approximately 40 years older than her. The marriage was scheduled to take place abroad and, according to the investigation, the union could have subsequently served to facilitate the man's obtaining residence and work authorisation in Spain.
The victim had explicitly expressed her refusal to this marriage. Despite this, the family had planned to relocate her outside Spain in the short term to bring about the union. The control exercised over her had gone so far as to involve confiscating her personal documents, kept locked away and beyond her reach.
The woman seizes a chance to call for help
The woman managed to take advantage of a moment of inattention to leave the house and go to a person she trusted who had previously offered her help. From there they requested the National Police's intervention by calling 091.
After analysing her account, investigators found signs consistent with a possible situation of human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage. The National Police activated protection and specialised assistance mechanisms to prevent the victim from having to return to her family environment, and she was transferred to a safe location managed by an organisation specialising in victim support.
Three arrested and protection order
As a result of the investigation carried out by the UCRIF in Zaragoza, officers proceeded to arrest the three family members allegedly involved. The detainees were handed over to the competent judicial authority.
The victim, now in a safe place and receiving specialised assistance, ratified her statement before the court, which issued a protection order in her favour.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)