Canary Islands horror as girl set on fire - suffers 95% burns

A teenage girl has suffered severe burns impacting 95% of her body after a horrific attack in Gran Canaria. Reports suggest a 20-year-old man poured combustible liquid on the teenager before setting her alight.

The 17-year-old was found in the street at around 4am on Wednesday in the La Isleta district of Las Palmas with serious burns affecting her entire body. She was taken in a critical condition to the Doctor Negrín University Hospital of Gran Canaria and was later evacuated to the burns unit centre in Seville due to the severity of her injuries.

The girl had been living under the guardianship of a juvenile centre, but it was reported that she left a few days prior to stay at the squatted property in Las Palmas.

According to Sandra Rodriguez, the Director General of Child Protection, the teenager's whereabouts were unknown after leaving the residence, and her disappearance had been reported days earlier.

Emergency teams reportedly treated the man for smoke inhalation and Las Palmas firefighters responded to the area affected by the fire. The man was arrested by police.

Authorities have stressed the seriousness of the incident, which happened at the property on Calle Roque Nublo.

In 2024 in the Canary Islands, 11,503 cases of gender violence were registered, according to data released by the Observatory against Domestic and Gender Violence of the General Council of the Judiciary.