A 17-year-old girl is in critical condition after being doused in fuel and set alight by her 20-year-old boyfriend, a Moroccan illegal immigrant, in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the La Isleta neighborhood of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
The teenager, who is under the guardianship of the Canary Islands Government, suffered burns to 95 percent of her body and remains in intensive care at a specialist burn unit in Seville.
As reported by Canarias7, the suspect, identified as Abarrafia Hader, arrived in Spain approximately six weeks ago aboard a migrant boat and was picked up by Salvamento Marítimo, the Spanish search and rescue agency, near Arrecife. He lacked legal documentation and was placed under a deportation order, with instructions to be returned to Morocco.
While awaiting deportation, he was housed in temporary accommodation at the Canarias 50 military facility, just a short distance from the scene of the attack.
The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday on Angostura Street. Forensic officers and national police remained at the scene into the morning, inspecting the fire-damaged building, which the suspect and victim had reportedly been squatting in together.
Authorities say the girl frequently absconded from her state care center to spend time with Hader, despite the center having filed missing person reports in the days prior to the attack. The full nature of their relationship is still under investigation, and police are exploring whether a third person may have been involved.
“The Canary Islands government claims to have no evidence that the two were a couple, although they have detected signs of it,” a Spanish government spokesperson said, as cited by El País. “The focus must be on the despicable act of what appears to be gender-based violence, regardless of whether the boy was her partner or not.”
After setting the girl alight, Hader reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital under police supervision. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.
The attack has shocked the local community. “It’s a shame that the neighborhood is remembered for events like this,” one café owner told local media.
Another local shopkeeper said: “They showed me images of the girl while she was being treated… it was terrible; I felt so sorry for her.”
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