CCOO and CSIF denounce a «riot» at an infant center in Melilla that caused injuries to caregivers and security guards

The CCOO and CSIF unions denounce that about thirty unaccompanied minors received at the Purísima de Melilla stronghold center were involved in a «riot» that ended «with several caregivers and guards injured, some of whom required medical attention in emergency services.»

As explained in two press releases, the «requirement of a ten-euro payment» for each minor received, in relation to the end of Ramadan, was the trigger that «caused a riot with injuries to the children at Purísima.»

The Security Private Union section of CCOO Hábitat explained that the events occurred «because they did not comply with this request, at which point the youths adopted an extremely violent attitude, blocking access to the center’s management and throwing stones and other objects, like screws, at the staff.»

«The situation escalated to such an extent that the initial reception workers were detained, and the intervention of colleagues was necessary to evacuate the Head of Management, who was also threatened with death and had to go to the Civil Guard to file the appropriate complaint.»

After breaking down the doors, as they pointed out, «the minors left the center and continued the attack outside, throwing several stones at the staff.» However, the swift intervention of the Civil Guard «managed to disperse those involved, although insults and threats to the professionals persisted.»

On the other hand, the CSIF section of the Purísima stronghold detailed their part on Friday, March 28th, «The minors received, because it was the end of Ramadan, several gifts in the form of clothing, but it was not enough for them, and they demanded, in a violent and aggressive manner, a money handout.»

The workers had to contain the incident during the period that passed until the arrival of the Civil Guard. «Many colleagues suffered physical and verbal aggression, threats with bladed weapons, and several injuries,» they said.

In this regard, they warned that «the episode was of great gravity and danger and could have ended in a tragedy, as recently happened in Extremadura with another one of our comrades, who allegedly died at the hands of three received minors.»

CSIF criticized that the following day, Saturday the 29th, the Ministry of Social Policies of Melilla, «decided, against the management criteria, the technical team, the educational team, the educational assistants, and the entire team in general, that the money demanded by the rioters would be handed over to all the minors.»

Given this fact, «all the professionals working at the center feel discredited in their work and have been made powerless by the administration, which should work with a common criterion and collaboration, not dictatorial and without taking into account the workers, who are the ones facing and suffering the aggressions.»

For CSIF, this sets «a bad precedent in which minors with the worst behavior have achieved a goal based on violence and aggression, and the workers were none.»

The unions recalled that, on previous occasions, «there have been attacks with stones, tools, and physical aggression that have even resulted in the hospitalization of guards.» Therefore, they ensured that «the staff work in high-risk conditions, often without the necessary resources to deal with such magnitude.»

«I have been asking for a long time to deal with these riots, but those responsible ignore it,» they said.

FUENTE