The Second Section of the Provincial Court of Palma will hold a preliminary hearing this Friday, starting at 9:30 a.m., in the trial of two men accused of captaining a boat that reached the coast of Formentera last June. The prosecution is requesting a seven-year prison sentence for each of the defendants, whom it accuses of a crime against the rights of foreign citizens. According to the indictment, the boat set sail in the early hours of June 19 from the coast of Tipassa, Algeria, and arrived in Formentera around 4:00 p.m. the following day. There were 16 people on board, two of them minors, who allegedly paid between 6,000 and 8,000 euros for the journey. The prosecutor argues that the lives of the occupants were seriously endangered during the crossing, as the boat did not meet the minimum maritime safety requirements and lacked any lifesaving equipment. During the journey, one of the defendants was in charge of operating the engine with the aid of a GPS device, while the other was responsible for refueling from the fifteen 30-liter jerrycans of gasoline they carried on board. Furthermore, the prosecution emphasizes that neither of the defendants possessed the knowledge or training necessary to navigate this type of vessel.

A man admitted on Wednesday to sexually abusing his underage daughter in Palma and accepted a one-year prison sentence. The defendant reached an agreement with the prosecution and the private plaintiff before the trial in the First Section of the Provincial Court and will not have to go to prison, as he has no prior criminal record. He also agreed to pay the victim €1,000 in compensation (€50 per month for 20 months) and to complete a sex education course. Furthermore, he is prohibited from approaching his daughter for the next three years. The convicted man admitted that in June 2021 he met with his daughter, who lived in a children's home and had permission to leave and see her family. At that time, the man invited her to his house. There, he touched her inappropriately and kissed her on the mouth without her consent. The man had previously been convicted in 2009 and 2013 for domestic and gender-based violence, and in 2018 for theft. Initially, the prosecution requested a two-year prison sentence and €3,000 in compensation, but following the agreement, he will not have to go to prison.