Justice department announces new criminal courts for Barcelona to tackle repeat offenders

Spain's Justice Minister Félix Bolaños has announced the creation of four new criminal courts in Barcelona and one investigative court to address habitual repeat offenders.

The initiative is part of the plan against repeat offenders developed by the Spanish government in collaboration with the Catalan administration and the Barcelona City Council, all led by the Socialist Party.

The goal is to process trials faster and ensure that court hearings in Barcelona are resolved within a maximum of six months, aligning with the Spanish national average, instead of the current 13 months.

The agreement was announced after a meeting between Bolaños and Catalan President Salvador Illa at the Catalan government headquarters in Barcelona on Wednesday. 

The minister also announced that Barcelona's local police force, the Guardia Urbana, will be equipped with a new tool to instantly identify whether a detainee is a repeat offender and refer them to the appropriate court.

Over the past year, 487 repeat offenders have been identified in Barcelona, linked to 6,169 criminal incidents.

However, Bolaños stressed that in most cases these are thefts and minor crimes that "do not affect the physical integrity of citizens, but cause insecurity".

The five new courts will help to speed up the trial of these crimes. Barcelona currently has two fewer criminal courts than Madrid, which has 31, although the Catalan capital has twice as many trials as the Spanish capital.

Crime in Barcelona 50% higher than in Madrid

The crime rate in Barcelona was 50% higher than in Madrid in the first half of 2024, according to data from Spain's interior ministry analyzed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

In the Catalan capital, the ratio was 48 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, while in Madrid it was 31.  

Theft is the most common crime in both cities, but the rate in Barcelona, 24 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, is nearly double that of Madrid, 12.8. 

Moreover, the number of violent and intimidating home and business robberies is twice as high in Barcelona as in Madrid.

Experts suggest several reasons for Barcelona's higher crime rate compared to Madrid, with tourism being the primary factor as the Catalan capital attracts more international visitors each year.  

Another reason is the saturation of courts. Barcelona has fewer courts per capita; Madrid has 39 criminal courts, while Barcelona has only 29.