Former Ceuta Health Minister Jailed on Child Abuse Allegations

Many residents of Ceuta find it hard to believe in the arrest and detention for abuse of minors of Dr. Javier Guerrero. In 38 years of career, this very well-known doctor has treated at least one member of almost all the families in the autonomous city. "On the one hand, it is inconceivable that someone you know and appreciate could have done this and you don’t want it to be confirmed, but you also think that it would be even worse if there was no real basis for his arrest... In what situation would the system and institutions be...?" wonder the inhabitants.

Guerrero’s arrest follows a ten-month investigation by the Civil Guard, which has provided evidence, such as inviting minors to his private office without the knowledge of their legal guardians. His relatives refute these arguments. The root of the problem is "politics. He should never have entered it," they lament. After the 2019 elections, he accepted the position of Minister of Health in the Ceuta government under Vivas (PP), recalls El Diario. In the summer of 2021, after renouncing his ambition to chair the PP, he creates his own party, Ceuta Avanza.

A few months earlier, on January 26, 2021, he resigned from his post after being splashed by a scandal over the purchase of masks and also renounced his seat as a deputy when it was discovered that he had violated the Covid-19 vaccination protocols to receive the doses earlier, later justifying his act by the fact that he is diabetic. This is how in May 2021 he began to offer his services in the reception centers for unaccompanied foreign minors in the city, among them many Moroccans.

In January 2022, he is suspected of inappropriate behavior towards minors. "If buying underwear and socks for 3 children to play football is a crime, I take responsibility for it," he finally let slip on WhatsApp. He was expressly forbidden to "make gifts of any kind to minors without the prior and express authorization of the SAMU Foundation." In a tweet, Guerrero denounces his arrest which he considers a "plot" by the institutions to "destroy" him.