Solas y acosadas: el drama de las niñas que nadaron a Ceuta

Zohra Mohamed is trapped in the same spot of a street for hours, pushed back six steps after taking three. She believes the black-bricked building in the El Príncipe barrio might hold hope, but so far, nothing has appeared. Aya, a 17-year-old Moroccan, swam across to Ceuta. She wears a male shirt and nervously mimics Zohra's steps, biting a small butterfly necklace.

Zohra asks passersby, "Why aren't they opening? Tell me what I should do." Three days prior, she witnessed Aya in a side street, wounded and soaked from the swim. Zohra cannot leave her alone and fears sexual violence. Many Ceutians have taken in some of the thousands of minors who entered Ceuta on July 30th and 31st, but neighborly solidarity is insufficient to address their needs, especially girls facing sexual violence.

Earlier, Aya lived in Rincón and studied hairstyling; her 14-year-old brother woke her at night to tell her about the crossing. Aya ran 22 kilometers in darkness, swimming the sea. She remembers the chaos, the injuries, but not the fear. When the police pursued her in the streets of Ceuta, she hid under a car. Zohra embraced her, comforting her.

Zohra cannot find a future for Aya in Ceuta, as her parents do not want her to return to Morocco. Zohra stays awake at night, searching for alternatives. She took Aya to the temporary shelter for minors, but the center is filled with boys. Zohra fears for Aya's safety and brings her to their building, where some shelter options exist.

Wafa, 42, has taken in four Moroccan minors who sleep on a two-seater sofa. Ilhame, 15, studies nursing and came from Río Martín; she crossed the sea to join her friends. She has no idea where the rest of her friends are. Wafa and Ilhame are desperate, Wafa has taken in four minors, Ilhame is staying with her daughter's friend. Despite the cold and other hardships, Wafa cares for the girls, promising to protect them.

Zohra and Wafa's fears are unfounded. On Friday, the Government Delegation confirmed five cases of sexual assaults on minor Moroccan men, under investigation by the National Police's Family and Woman Attention Unit. Also, Rajaa protects a 12-year-old girl from sexual assault, shielding her with her body. She calls her "my daughter too" and ruffles her hair.

Similar scenes play out in barriadas across Ceuta, with women sheltering Moroccan girls who wander the streets trying to disappear. The frustration has erupted in a fragile solution in Sidi Embarek, Los Rosales: neighbors turned a football field into a temporary refuge. Two heavy-set men guard the small entrance, attempting to prepare the space, which was initially to be a movie theater.