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Rabat – A Spanish court has released a 20-year-old Moroccan man who spent months in detention over a fire that severely injured a teenage girl, ruling the July incident was accidental rather than criminal.
An investigating court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria issued its ruling Tuesday, granting provisional release to the Moroccan suspect, according to Spanish media outlet El Pais.
However, the court decided to maintain supervision measures as investigators examine possible negligence in the fire’s origin.
Spanish police arrested the Moroccan man on July 21, charging him with attempted murder and injury after emergency crews found a minor with severe burns in the La Isleta neighborhood.
The girl, under government guardianship, had run away from her care center before the incident.
Prosecutors first built their case on medical reports suggesting someone poured accelerant on the victim. However, Judge Tomás Martín noted that “evidence in the case has changed since the time of his arrest,” leading to the Moroccan young man’s release.
The victim herself denied the initial version, supporting the Moroccan’s account that the fire occurred accidentally, El Pais reported.
Meanwhile, technical reports from fire department experts and forensic police contradicted theories that flammable liquid caused the injuries.
The investigators looking into the case suggest that both individuals entered an abandoned building near a Red Cross migrant center to use drugs when a mattress caught fire. Video footage shows the Moroccan man attempting to rescue the girl, with both embracing after escaping the building.
The court found no evidence supporting attempted murder charges against the young Moroccan, though negligence investigations continue. Officials initially suspected domestic violence but determined the pair met on the day of the incident.
The man is now free after being unjustly detained.
