The commission of European Parliament petitionsknown in the jargon as PETI, will analyze on Thursday the case of abuse of minors in care in the Valencian Country and the role of the former vice president Monica Oltra. The particularity of the case, in an organization contaminated by political struggles and interests, is that the demand comes from Elena Bastidaspopular deputy, and the president of the European parliamentary commission is Dolors Monserrat, former Minister of Health with the popular government of Mariano Rajoy, which opens the door to conflicts of interest.
PETI is one of the European organizations with the most tarnished reputation. Its role is to address the complaints of European citizens who see their fundamental rights violated. For this reason, this route opens a gateway for the European institutions to mediate in cases of possible gaps and contradictions in the acquis communautaire. In the matter in question, the request does not come from an ordinary citizen, but from a political actor.
In recent years, the commission chaired by the PP spokesperson in the European Parliament has been a source of criticism for becoming the mud of Spanish politics. And it has a cascade of reproaches for its instrumentalization. Already in 2020, some thirty socialist MEPs, from the left and from the green denounced its instrumentalization and the “lack of impartiality” of its presidents “especially in those petitions related to matters critical to the management of the Government of Spain”.
The rapporteur Bastadis, who will intervene in the European Parliament debate next Thursday, presented a petition in a commission in March 2021 in her own name and as spokesperson for the Popular Parliamentary Group of the Cortes of the Valencian Community. On September 8, she will defend it in Brussels. The preamble goes through demanding the opening of an investigation to the department of Oltra alleging lack of protection of minors in care in the community and asking for the protection of Brussels. Oltra resigned last June a few days after he was accused of allegedly covering up the case of abuse of a minor under guardianship for which her ex-husband was convicted.
In her letter, accepted by the European parliamentary commission, the Valencian deputy requests the intervention of PETI “to protect children who have been victims of sexual abuse in public centers of the autonomous community due to the lack of action of the national and regional authorities “. She appeals to her members to collect testimonies from the victims. But the truth is that de facto, the European parliamentary commission has little room for maneuver and action on the many cases that come to them.
Brussels disassociates itself
The defense of the former leader of Compromís dismantles the request not only on the forms, but also the substance. The examples that are attached correspond to a dozen cases, alleged with news from newspapers, many of which have already been investigated and prosecuted by the Prosecutor’s Office. Many others occurred outside the centers. And some of them even correspond to the time under the control of the Popular Party.
Brussels warns that the issue of protected minors is the exclusive competence of the Spanish authorities
It is possible that the report will go ahead with most popular and extreme right. But its consequence would be limited to a maximum of official visits by MEPs to Valencia and a document to the European Commission. However, in this case, the European Commission, guardian of the treaties, has already avoided getting involved, alleging that it extrapolates its powers. Already in March, the Community Executive warned that the issue of protected minors and the role of Oltra is the exclusive competence of the Spanish authorities. And he reiterated that he can only intervene in those areas where fundamental rights are attacked in the framework of European treaties.
Thus, Brussels sees the protection of children as a field of competence of the national authorities and, in this case, of the Spanish ones. “The European Commission cannot intervene in individual cases, so it is up to the Member States, including their judicial authorities, to ensure the effective respect and protection of fundamental rights, in accordance with their national legislation and international human rights obligations. Therefore, redress must be sought at the national level, “he justified at the time.
In parallel, the lawyer Magi Ribas Alegret has presented another request for the European Parliament to investigate the baptized as case Bar Spain. According to documentation to which you have had access Public, the request has been accepted for processing by the PETI secretariat, although now it is up to the MEPs to approve it or not. The case, one of the most widespread pederasty hoaxes of the last decaderefers to a plot of conspiracy against various public officials who were accused of Satanic pederasty in the Spain Bar in Castellón. It is one of the most popular disinformation cases in the country.
All this feeds the idea that Spanish politicians turn to Brussels to extend their political roost and combat strategies against their adversaries. During the last few months, the Popular Party has landed in the community capital with the mission of discredit the government of Pedro Sánchez in the management of European funds. He has also been very critical of the energy saving measures, despite the fact that the president of the European Commission, the popular Ursula von der Leyenhas praised the country for it.
The last crossroads between the socialists and Spaniards in the Petitions Committee came through a resolution to condemn the unpunished crimes of the terrorist group ETA. Next Thursday the new assault will arrive in the popular campaign against the socialists and from which the European Commission has already disregarded.
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