On Tuesday 14th October 2019, during protests in Plaça d'Urquinaona, Barcelona, an 18-year-old man lost his left eye after being struck by a 40-millimetre foam projectile fired by the Mossos d'Esquadra, the regional police force. The injury was confirmed by a 2021 forensic report from the Institute of Legal Medicine of Catalonia. Despite this, the victim has yet to receive any reparation. Irídia, a legal aid organisation, has denounced the Generalitat's failure to resolve the claim for patrimonial responsibility, which was formally submitted on 15th November 2022 after criminal proceedings were closed due to the inability to identify the officer who fired the projectile. Under Article 47 of Law 39/2015 on administrative procedure, public bodies have a maximum of six months to resolve such claims. The protocol for reparation of victims of Mossos actions, approved by the Generalitat resolution of 13th May 2014, also mandates priority and swift processing.

Administrative Delays Raise Concerns

In June 2025, the Department of the Interior informed Irídia that the case was pending resolution, awaiting an opinion from the Legal Advisory Commission. However, on 16th October 2026, the department admitted the file had not been sent to the commission, meaning the claim has been stalled for an additional 16 months without justification.

It is unacceptable that the Generalitat continues to shirk responsibility for effectively and quickly repairing a young man who was 18 years old when one of its officers mutilated him.

The young man spent a month in Hospital de Sant Pau, underwent two operations, and now wears an ocular prosthesis. Psychological sequelae have been documented. Irídia highlights that this case is not isolated. Most patrimonial responsibility claims for police violence it handles exceed legal processing deadlines. The organisation also criticises the Generalitat for not initiating any reparation procedures ex officio for victims it assists.

Call for Policy Change

Beyond this individual case, Irídia demands the immediate unblocking of the file and calls for the withdrawal of foam projectiles from public order operations, citing their lack of traceability and deficiencies in internal investigation mechanisms. Compensation claims for physical or psychological damage caused by the Mossos d'Esquadra can be filed through the Generalitat’s online portal for reclamación de responsabilidad patrimonial. Victims have one year from the determination of injury sequelae to file.

Sources: VilaWeb, Generalitat de Catalunya.