Woman deported after reporting assault at Barcelona CIE detention center

• Vanessa Cevallos, a resident of Spain for 26 years, was deported after reporting an assault by a police officer at the Barcelona Immigration Detention Center (CIE).
• Despite an ongoing family reunification process with her children, Spanish courts rejected all appeals to stay the deportation.
• The removal of the victim and the only witness has significantly hindered the ongoing legal investigation into the officer's actions.

The Assault at the CIE

• On May 24, 2026, a National Police officer subjected Cevallos to verbal abuse and intimidation after she covered her bunk with a towel to block hallway light.
• Cevallos suffered anxiety attacks and tachycardia due to the harassment; she was denied medical attention until hours later, eventually self-harming in desperation to be treated.
• Her lawyer filed a formal complaint on June 2, requesting identification of the officer—who refused to show his badge—and preservation of security footage.

Family Reunification and Judicial Ruling

• Cevallos, mother of four, had spent six years working with therapists and social services to regain custody of her two minor children, with reunification near completion.
• The legal defense filed for emergency precautionary measures, citing the "best interests of the minor" and the potential for irreversible psychological damage, but the court denied these motions four days before her deportation.
• The court ruled that the reunification process did not outweigh the state's interest in enforcing the deportation order.

Legal Consequences and Precedent

• With the primary witness already deported and the victim now in Ecuador, the criminal case against the officer faces severe evidentiary challenges.
• This incident adds to a long history of alleged abuse at the Barcelona CIE, including the 2012 death of Idrissa Diallo and a 2020 assault case currently before the European Court of Human Rights.
• Legal advocates and therapists highlight the move as a brutal measure intended to silence detainees who attempt to report misconduct.