The police estimate that at least 50 migrants died on the cayuco that had 248 occupants rescued off the coast of the Canary Islands on 24 August. The boat’s captains have been arrested on charges of manslaughter, assault, and torture, as accounts suggest they threw several individuals overboard while they were still alive.
Survivors’ Testimonies
On 5 September, a court in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Gran Canaria, remanded 17 occupants of the vessel in custody after hearing testimony from several survivors. Under protected witness conditions, they presented a harrowing account of extreme violence, including beatings and alleged murders that occurred during the eleven days spent at sea.
According to judicial sources speaking to EFE at the time, the ordeal began with the superstitions held by the men steering the cayuco. They attributed their navigational problems to “witchcraft” and began seeking scapegoats for their misfortune.
Additional Arrests and Allegations
In a statement released on Wednesday, the police revealed two more arrests, also remanded in custody. It was detailed that all individuals are accused of assaulting dozens of people, beating and mistreating them in various ways, with reports that some were thrown alive into the ocean.
They also “refused to assist those who accidentally fell into the water.”
Witness accounts indicate that around 30 people were thrown overboard, but police warn that agents from the Provincial Brigade of Foreigners investigating the case estimate that the deceased or missing could be more than 50, as the cayuco initially set sail with around 300 individuals on board.
Superstitions and Violence
Testimonies collected by investigators from survivors confirm that these deaths may be linked to superstitions, which led the detained individuals to label certain crew members as “witches” when issues arose, such as engine failures, food shortages, or bad weather.
There have also been documented homicides “simply because some individuals protested or expressed discontent with the conditions of the journey,” according to the Canary Islands Police Headquarters.
Rescue and Investigation
When assisted by Maritime Rescue in waters east of Dajla (Sahara), the wooden vessel, approximately 20 metres in length, was adrift with 248 people on board, one of whom died in hospital after evacuation.
Sources involved in the investigation have informed EFE that there are survivors claiming the cayuco left Senegal with 320 people on board. If confirmed, this would raise the death toll from the journey to above 70.
EFE
