The organisation SOS Missing defended this Sunday that during Santiago Carlos Martín’s tenure as regional coordinator, there have been “no complaints” regarding his activities. They emphasised that his arrest on 13th November relates solely to his role as head of Civil Protection in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The court on duty in Santa Cruz de Tenerife decided on Friday to place Martín in provisional detention without bail, being accused of crimes relating to human trafficking for servitude, as well as ongoing sexual assault and harassment offences.
In a statement, SOS Missing expressed that “for over seven years, Santiago Carlos Martín has voluntarily dedicated himself to assisting missing individuals and their families.”
“During this time, we have not received any grievances regarding his efforts. Conversely, we have witnessed numerous acknowledgements from families who benefited greatly from his support in their most challenging times,” stated the organisation, highlighting that “his dedication” has been “crucial” in raising awareness about disappearances in the Canary Islands and in establishing collaborative agreements with various local councils, which has considerably bolstered their presence and operations.
“We regret that certain media outlets are emphasising in their headlines the affiliation of Santiago Carlos Martín with our Association while the ongoing investigation pertains exclusively to his role in Civil Protection.” For this reason, they added, “we will pursue the appropriate legal actions if the reputation of SOS Missing is compromised in this context,” cautioned the organisation led by Joaquín Amills.
In addition, SOS Desaparecidos conveyed their “respect” for the judicial process and the authorities in the Canary Islands, expressing hope that this situation will be clarified promptly.
Following the news of his arrest last Thursday, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council issued a decree temporarily suspending Santiago Carlos Martín from his responsibilities “until his legal situation is resolved.”
Santiago Carlos Martín was appointed head of the Civil Protection Group in 2017 after having served as resource manager of the Emergency and Security Coordinating Centre (Cecoes) of the Government of the Canary Islands.
In September 2019, he was dismissed from the Civil Protection Headquarters following complaints lodged by several young individuals concerning alleged inappropriate comments and conduct of a sexual nature, which were ultimately dismissed.
With the return of CC and PP to the governing group in the City Council of Santa Cruz, he was reinstated as the head of Civil Protection in the municipality.