A two-year-old boy was allegedly thrown into the Atlantic from a migrant boat after traffickers became frustrated by his crying, according to a senior emergency services official in Lanzarote.
The child was reportedly travelling with his mother on a boat bound for the Spanish island when the alleged incident took place.
Enrique Espinosa, head of Lanzarote’s Emergency Services Consortium, revealed the claim while discussing reports of serious crimes allegedly committed during migrant boat crossings.
“There are even more terrible things than that,” Espinosa told the A Buena Hora programme on Crónicas Radio.
“On a boat, they threw a two-year-old child who was crying with his mother into the water. They are terrible things.”
Espinosa did not provide further details about when the alleged incident occurred or identify those allegedly responsible.
It is also unclear whether Spanish police are formally investigating the toddler’s death.
Three Arrested Over Alleged Sexual Assault
The revelation came as authorities investigate the alleged multiple sexual assault of a woman aboard another migrant boat travelling to Lanzarote.
Three men, aged 21, 25 and 30, were arrested by Spain’s National Police following the allegations.
Police said the incident occurred on September 16 while the vessel was at sea, believed to be in international waters.
After the boat reached the port of Arrecife, the woman told rescue workers that she had been sexually assaulted by several men during the crossing.
“Given her serious state of health, the necessary resources were activated to provide her with initial assistance and she subsequently received specialised care as a victim at police premises,” police said.
A witness travelling on the same vessel also reportedly told investigators that they had seen the alleged assault.
The nationalities of the three suspects have not been disclosed. They remain in custody as the investigation continues.
Hundreds Rescued Off Lanzarote
The latest reports come amid a surge in migrant arrivals around Lanzarote.
More than 450 migrants have reportedly been rescued from waters off the island in recent days, while more than a dozen people are believed to have died during the crossings.
Espinosa called for greater efforts to combat organised trafficking networks, saying reports emerging from migrant boats showed an alarming level of violence.
“When they start telling you things, you see that it borders on a lack of humanity,” he said.
“An end must be put to all this trafficking by mafias.”
The allegations also come amid previous reports of serious crimes aboard migrant vessels travelling from Africa towards Spain.
In September last year, Spanish police investigated allegations that two minors had been sexually assaulted during a migrant boat crossing before reaching Ibiza.
Authorities in Gran Canaria also previously investigated claims that migrants had been tortured and thrown overboard after being accused of witchcraft.
The latest allegations have highlighted the dangers faced by migrants during lengthy and often overcrowded sea crossings to the Canary Islands, while investigations continue into the crimes reportedly committed aboard some vessels.
