Spain: a Muslim woman at the head of the Jaén police, a historic first which causes controversy

The appointment of Layla Dris Hach-Mohamed as the first Muslim woman at the head of the National Police in Jaén, a city of 110,000 inhabitants located in Andalusia (southern Spain), triggers a wave of hateful reactions on social networks. Islamophobic and racist messages particularly target this Spanish commissioner of Moroccan origin, born in Melilla. Aged 54 and with a 30-year career, this multilingual professional has degrees in law, police science and protocol. Her remarkable career includes leading the Spanish UN contingent in Haiti (2007) and a position as attaché at the Madrid embassy in Rabat (2013-2017).

The General Directorate of Police has confirmed the opening of an investigation into these hateful messages, mainly broadcast on X (formerly Twitter). Some posts appear to be part of an orchestrated campaign, mixing xenophobia and conspiracy theories.

This controversy occurs in a tense local context, marked by a recent political change at Jaén town hall. It also raises broader questions about the integration of minorities into senior positions in Spain’s security forces. Despite these attacks, Layla Dris Hach-Mohamed received a warm welcome from local authorities when she took the oath of office on the Constitution, marking a significant step in the diversification of the senior ranks of the Spanish police.

This appointment is part of a gradual evolution of the Spanish security forces. Although agents of Muslim origin are still few in number in the high ranks, their presence is growing in particular in the Basque regional police (Ertzaintza) and Catalan (Mossos d’Esquadra). The Guardia Civil also has Muslim women in its ranks, all subject to the same strict rules of uniformity as their colleagues.

This affair reveals the persistent tensions in Spanish society faced with the diversification of its institutions. If Spain has made significant progress in terms of inclusion since the end of Franco’s regime, the rise of far-right discourse and the growing polarization of debates on social networks threaten this dynamic of openness.