An incident involving four people found inside an official accommodation room at the Guardia Civil barracks in Can Sifre, Sant Josep, has drawn attention after the Supreme Court reportedly upheld a disciplinary sanction against the officer assigned to the room.

The events took place on 12 October 2023, during the Guardia Civil's patron-saint celebrations. The case came to light when officers noticed people inside the barracks who were not members of the force.

The officer's defence has denied that he rented out the accommodation or received money, maintaining that he had simply given the keys to an acquaintance.

Four People Found Inside the Barracks

According to the facts described in reports of the disciplinary proceedings, the officer was away from Ibiza when a man, a woman and two underage girls were found inside the accommodation assigned to him at Can Sifre.

The incident occurred during celebrations marking the Guardia Civil's patron saint. Three officers reportedly noticed the group inside the barracks and approached them to establish who they were and why they were there.

The man initially said he was staying in the room of a female friend. One of the girls, however, indicated that they were using the accommodation assigned to the absent officer.

The man reportedly explained that he had believed he was staying in an apartment with sea views. During the encounter, he helped himself to an alcoholic drink and asked the officers where he could obtain drugs, prompting further intervention from those present.

A woman subsequently arrived and told the officers that the Guardia Civil officer had allowed them to use his room. Following a telephone conversation with the officer, the group returned to the accommodation before eventually leaving the barracks.

They reportedly departed without returning the keys to either the room or the barracks.

Disciplinary Proceedings and a 20-Day Suspension

The disciplinary investigation concluded that the four occupants did not have authorisation to use the official accommodation and that their presence had not been communicated to the barracks' security service.

The officer was sanctioned with 20 days' suspension of employment and salary for a serious disciplinary offence under Article 8.37 of Spain's Organic Law 12/2007, which governs the disciplinary regime of the Guardia Civil.

The provision covers serious and manifest breaches of legal or regulatory duties inherent to an officer's position or function.

Reports published on 5 November 2026 by Europa Press, Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera and elDiario.es stated that the Supreme Court's Military Chamber had rejected the officer's appeal and upheld the disciplinary sanction. The reported judgment is dated 17 September 2026.

The court's reasoning, as described in those reports, included the particular conditions governing official accommodation inside Guardia Civil installations. Such accommodation is an administrative right of residence subject to regulations, including security requirements concerning the entry and presence of people who are not members of the force.

Officer's Defence Denies a Rental Agreement

The officer's lawyers have disputed the account that he rented the room to tourists.

In statements published by La Voz de Ibiza on 6 November, the legal team said the officer had given the keys to a woman he knew for a specific purpose. They maintained that he had not authorised anyone to stay overnight, had not agreed to a rental arrangement and had not received payment.

The defence also argued that the officer did not know the woman would arrive with other people and should not automatically be held responsible for their actions.

His lawyers questioned the handling of witness evidence and raised concerns about responsibility for controlling access to the barracks, arguing that security personnel were responsible for monitoring entry to the premises.

They also disputed the reported procedural status of the disciplinary case, saying that a separate challenge concerning the officer's disciplinary responsibility remained pending before the Central Military Court.

Questions Over the Legal Status of the Case

There are differing accounts of the procedural position.

The reports published by Europa Press and elDiario.es state that the Supreme Court rejected the officer's appeal and confirmed the 20-day sanction. The defence, in its subsequent statement to La Voz de Ibiza, maintained that the challenge concerning disciplinary responsibility was still awaiting a decision and distinguished it from proceedings relating to alleged violations of the officer's defence rights.

The full court judgment was not independently available for this report, so the distinction between the proceedings cannot be conclusively clarified here.

What is established in the published accounts is that the officer received a 20-day disciplinary sanction and that the incident involved unauthorised access to accommodation inside the Can Sifre barracks. The defence disputes that the accommodation was rented for payment.

The case has highlighted the specific rules governing official accommodation within Guardia Civil facilities, where the right to occupy a room is subject to administrative conditions and security procedures.