Miquel Roldán will rejoin a Palma school this Tuesday

PalmThe teacher convicted of child abuse, Miquel Roldán, will return this Tuesday, April 21, to CEIP Son Pisà in Palma to cover a temporary leave of absence until April 28, as ARA Balears has learned exclusively. This is a particularly sensitive return because it comes without any medical evaluation being finally applied, although it had been initially authorized by the Ministry of Education and the unions within the framework of the parity committee. That preventive measure was proposed following the conflict that arose during his time at CEIP Maria Antònia Salva in Son Sardina, but Roldán took medical leave at the time the study was to be carried out, which left him in suspense. Months later, the Ministry ended up withdrawing the proposal, and the teacher will now return to practice without having undergone any specific evaluation. His return reopens the debate that arose at the beginning of the school year at CEIP Maria Antònia Salvà in Son Sardina, where his incorporation triggered an episode of sustained protest that included an 11-day family strike without taking the children to school at the beginning of the school year.

The Roldán case originates from a one-year prison sentence for a crime of harassment of a minor former student, which the Court of Appeal confirmed. Despite the conviction, the court did not order his disqualification from practicing teaching, as it understood that the facts were not directly linked to his professional activity. This judicial decision opened a debate on the legal and ethical limits of allowing individuals convicted of crimes related to minors to continue working in educational centers, which is still ongoing.

The conflict broke out with force at the beginning of the school year, when his assignment to the CEIP of Son Sardina was made public. The families reported that in previous years the teacher had been involved in “many unpleasant” incidents both inside and outside the school premises, of which educational inspection and the Conselleria are aware. “The families of the minors involved, at the time, decided to protect the children and refrained from going to court to avoid them having to undergo judicial proceedings”. “The teacher's insistence on returning to the CEIP Maria Antònia Salvà is interpreted by the families as a clear provocation, which is confirmed by the publications that appeared on social networks, and which causes great concern to all involved”, defended the AFA.

The reaction was immediate. With his return, the families of the center expressed indignation and concern about his presence in the classrooms. Tension grew until it culminated in assemblies, statements, and mobilizations within the educational community. The most intense point of the conflict came when the families initiated a strike and stopped bringing their children to school for the first 11 days of the course, a protest measure that severely disrupted the functioning of the center and placed the case at the center of the media and political agenda. During this entire period, the teachers attended a school without students, who only returned when Roldán took leave, which has been extended until now.

Attempts to force his medical examination

The Roldán episode in Son Sardina and the fact that a person convicted of harassment of minors could work there generated debate within the educational community, with opposing positions among families, unions, and the administration. While a majority demanded the immediate removal of the teacher from the center, another part defended that the judicial resolution, which had not established any disqualification, should be respected.

Given this climate of tension, the Department of Education and the unions addressed the case in a parity meeting and authorized a psychiatric study to assess the teacher's suitability for working with minors. The measure was interpreted as an exceptional response to social pressure and the perceived seriousness of the case. However, the evaluation was not carried out because Roldán took medical leave at that time, which halted the procedure.

As the months passed and the situation had already de-escalated, the Ministry of Education decided to definitively withdraw the study proposal, leaving the case without any specific evaluation and without active preventive measures. This has led to the teacher being able to return to ordinary activity without having undergone any additional review beyond the usual administrative framework.

From school to Parliament

In parallel, the case has transcended the educational sphere and has reached the political debate. In the Parliament, a discussion has opened on the need to reform the regulations to prevent individuals convicted of harassment of minors from working in educational centers when there is no express judicial disqualification. In this context, the PP has promoted a legislative initiative to modify the law and "close the door" to this type of situations, precisely as a result of cases like Roldán's and the strong social reaction experienced in centers like Son Sardina.

The proposal argues that the current legal framework leaves gaps that can generate situations of insecurity or distrust within the educational community, while parliamentary debate has also brought to the table the need to harmonize any changes with state legislation. All this has turned the case into an example of conflict between judicial rulings, administrative management, and social demand.