The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating possible fraud involving EU funds for electronic Monitoring bracelets in Spain. Investigators are looking into the procurement of devices used to protect against gender-based violence. Several Spanish media outlets reported on 12 November 2026 that investigative measures were taking place at the Ministry of Equality and at Spain’s Court of Auditors .
According to the newspaper The Objective, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said its Madrid office is leading the investigation. It is being supported by the central operational unit of the Guardia Civil. According to reports, proceedings began as early as 2025; 12 November 2026 is therefore not the start of the investigation.
The suspicion concerns the use of European funds to purchase the devices. According to The Objective’s report, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has not named any possible suspects or stated the amount of funds involved. The investigation has not established that fraud took place. The fact that measures are being taken at the Court of Auditors does not in itself mean that its employees are suspected of wrongdoing.
The monitoring bracelets are intended to help enforce court protection orders and penalties in cases of gender-based violence. Spain’s Minister for Equality Ana Redondo pledged full cooperation and transparency, according to elDiario.es. Her ministry was keen for every euro to be scrutinised; to its knowledge, the funds had been used correctly. Redondo also defended the current contract, which she said addressed earlier problems.
The system’s technical reliability and whether funding was used lawfully are separate issues. A September 2026 report by the Court of Auditors found significant shortcomings in the award and monitoring of earlier contracts, as El País reported. The audit covered contracts from 2018, 2021 and 2023.
According to the Court of Auditors, problems accessing older data meant that 123 judicial requests could not initially be answered. However, this finding does not in itself prove funding fraud. Nor does the minister’s assessment of the quality of the new contract prejudge the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).