Judge handling Lanzarote baby death case suspects vicarious violence

The infant who died in Lanzarote under circumstances that have led to a reckless‑homicide investigation lost his life as a result of a car accident in which his father was driving without a licence. Nevertheless, the court overseeing the case has not ruled out the possibility that the death may involve proxy violence.

The man was detained by the Guardia Civil as a homicide suspect after inconsistencies emerged in his explanations of the child’s cranial trauma. The baby died after being transferred to a hospital in Gran Canaria.

According to a statement from the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands on Wednesday, the judge in Arrecife (Lanzarote) ordered his provisional release pending further police investigations, noting that “the court does not rule out that this could be a possible case of proxy violence.”

“The court does not rule out that this could be a possible case of proxy violence,” the tribunal clarified.

The investigation remains ongoing, and forensic tests to be conducted in the coming hours are expected to clarify exactly how the events unfolded.

The detainee has a record of violence against women. His former partner had filed a complaint, but later exercised her right not to testify against him. He also has two convictions for driving without a licence, the most recent one dating from October 2024.