An individual has been arrested in Maspalomas, within the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria), by the National Police. He is accused of offenses against freedom of conscience, religious sentiment, and freedom of worship, following an investigation into several incidents at a local parish.
The police operation was initiated after members of the parish community and church officials filed multiple complaints. They expressed concern over the repeated presence of an individual who allegedly attended religious services with the intent to disrupt their normal proceedings.
According to information provided by the National Police, these episodes began in September 2025 and continued for approximately nine months. Police investigations determined that the suspect frequently entered the church during masses, where he allegedly disrupted religious services with shouts, threats, and expressions directed at both the faithful and the parish officials.
When asked to leave the premises to allow the service to continue normally, the individual responded hostilely. According to police inquiries, he would verbally confront those present, uttering insults and direct threats.
The arrested individual repeatedly interrupted masses with shouts, insults, and threats, hindering the normal development of worship services
The recurrence of these incidents fostered an atmosphere of unease and fear among attendees of the religious ceremonies, impacting the exercise of the fundamental right to religious freedom and the conduct of worship services at the temple.
After gathering sufficient evidence and identifying the alleged perpetrator, officers set up a surveillance operation that led to his location and arrest. Once police procedures were completed, the detainee was handed over to the competent judicial authority. The court imposed precautionary measures, including a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching the temple where the investigated events allegedly took place.
