Catalan Council Fails to Report Suspected Sex Trafficking Cases

The Consell Comarcal de l'Alt Urgell (CCAU) has avoided reporting suspected cases of human trafficking for sexual exploitation to police authorities, despite legal obligations and official protocols requiring such action.

The controversy centres on the Comarcal Migration Plan, approved unanimously by the CCAU plenary in December and commissioned from consultancy La Perifèrica for €11,000. The document states explicitly that the Alt Urgell has seen "situations of sexual work in conditions of high vulnerability and growing cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes." It draws on an interview with a specialised external entity working in the field, which shared concerns about increased detection of risk indicators in recent years.

In response to questions from *BonDia*, the CCAU insisted the phrase "growing cases" reflects qualitative information, not a quantifiable rise or specific timeline. Officials clarified that no concrete cases were discussed, and the matters are being handled by the external entity through established procedures. However, they did not confirm any police notifications.

National Police sources confirmed no such cases have been referred to them. During the plan's presentation, Mossos d'Esquadra officers intervened to stress that these involve serious crimes linked to organised groups and mafias.

Legal experts cited Catalonia's 2013 Protocol for Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking, which mandates notifying state or regional police, the on-duty court, or the public prosecutor's office upon suspicion of such offences. They rejected the CCAU's claim of lacking competence, noting that local entities must immediately refer cases to specialised police rather than retaining them for social assistance or issuing their own assessments.

The plan also flags other issues, including racism in schools, labour exploitation among immigrants, and registry problems, yet prompted no questions or debate during the plenary session. It remains unclear whether councillors reviewed the content beforehand or found no cause for concern.