The 2024 escape

On 8 August 2024, as the Catalan parliament prepared to swear in socialist Salvador Illa as president, Carles Puigdemont, the former regional leader and head of the Junts party, made a surprise appearance at an independence rally at the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. Puigdemont, who had been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since the 2017 referendum, addressed the crowd for a few minutes and then vanished, despite an active arrest warrant issued by Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena for his role in the unilateral secession bid. The quick escape embarrassed both the central government and the Catalan police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, and immediately sparked internal investigations.

The role of the three officers

Internal Affairs investigators later identified three Mossos agents who were off duty that day: Xavier Manso (on vacation), Jordi Rodrigo (on sick leave) and David Goicoechea (on leave of absence). Photographs and video footage compiled by the force's Internal Affairs division showed the trio surrounding Puigdemont at very close range, at times holding his arm to help him move through the crowd. The police report described the formation as an "encapsulamiento", a technique typical of personal protection details. According to the investigating judge, the agents "accompanied him, collaborating so that he could reach the stage on foot… and after he came down, they escorted and hid him, together with other persons". One of the officers, Jordi Rodrigo, was the registered owner of a vehicle that Puigdemont used during his escape, a fact noted by the Audiencia.

From archive to prosecution

The initial criminal investigation was shelved by the examining magistrate, Judge María Antonia Coscollola of Barcelona's Investigating Court No. 24, who concluded there was no crime because the agents were not on duty and had no obligation to make an arrest. However, the provincial court (Audiencia de Barcelona) overturned that decision on 7 July 2026, ruling that there were sufficient indications of the offence of omission of the duty to pursue crimes. Bound by that ruling, Judge Coscollola issued a new order on 23 July 2026 formally processing the three officers, leaving them a step away from trial.

“The three agents carried out actions jointly and in coordination to avoid the arrest and make possible the flight of Mr Puigdemont.”

Potential penalties and next steps

The charge is framed under Article 408 of the Spanish Criminal Code, which punishes a public official who "knowingly and intentionally" fails to pursue a crime with a penalty of special disqualification from public employment or office of between six months and two years. The Audiencia discarded the more serious charge of "encubrimiento" (harbouring) but upheld the existence of indications of a breach of the duty to pursue crimes, aligning with the prosecutor's assessment. The public prosecutor (Fiscalía) and the private accusers, the conservative party Vox and the civil-society group Hazte Oír, now have ten days to file their accusation writs requesting a trial, or to ask for the case to be dismissed. If the case proceeds, the three officers will be the first Mossos personnel to face trial over the episode.