The mental state of the alleged jihadist from Algeciras marks the investigation

The investigation into the alleged jihadist attack in Algeciras (Cádiz), perpetrated by Yassine Kanjaa on January 25, has closed another phase this Friday with the declaration before the judge of two of its victims: the priest Antonio Rodríguez, who was seriously injured with a machete;

and a Moroccan citizen whom he attacked by believing that he was a convert.

For about an hour, both have detailed by videoconference to magistrate Joaquín Gadea how the attacks occurred, according to sources close to the investigations, which are partly focused on elucidating the defendant's mental state.

The judge must decide if he accepts the proposal of two experts from the National Court, who recommended provisionally admitting the detainee to a psychiatric unit.

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The judge points out that the alleged jihadist from Algeciras became radicalized in just a month

The instructor Joaquín Gadea commissioned a report on the mental health of Kanjaa, 25, on January 31.

So, according to sources in the case, two doctors from the National Court studied the alleged jihadist for a couple of hours and drew up a first provisional document with their conclusions, where they proposed transferring the detainee to a psychiatric unit of Penitentiary Institutions —there are only two currently: in Fontcalent (Alicante) and Seville.

The experts raised this measure on a temporary basis, waiting for the final report on his imputability to be drawn up.

The alleged jihadist's lawyer has put on the table the possibility that Kanjaa suffers from a psychiatric disorder and, therefore, has requested that the National Court send the investigation to an ordinary court in Algeciras, considering that the facts would be difficult to fit into the terrorist crimes.

In addition, defense sources indicate that they have not yet been informed whether the judge has accepted the forensic recommendation to admit the attacker to a psychiatric unit.

Although the Prosecutor's Office does not have to rule on the matter, it would not oppose this measure, according to sources from the public ministry.

On the afternoon of January 25, Kanjaa sowed chaos and pain for nearly an hour in the center of the city of Cadiz.

With a large machete, the attacker first went to the San Isidro chapel, where he seriously injured the priest Antonio Rodríguez, who had just celebrated mass.

Later, he went to the church of La Palma, located in the Plaza Alta, a very crowded point in the town, where he ran into the sacristan Diego Valencia, whom he murdered when he tried to flee.

This is how Judge Gadea described that moment in one of his writings: "Raising his gaze to the sky and shouting a few words in Arabic among which the word

["Allah"] is heard, he deals him one last fatal blow."

When ordering Kanjaa's entry into pretrial detention, the judge explained that the alleged jihadist had undergone a process of express "radicalization" and "self-indoctrination", which had barely lasted a month.

He also indicated that the person being investigated was "aware" and that he had "defined his objectives", in addition to adding that the evidence collected indicates that he acted alone, and that "he has not sworn allegiance to any terrorist organization or group."

Precisely, the instructor and the Prosecutor's Office have focused in the last two weeks on fitting the pieces of the puzzle through the testimonies of the witnesses.

To the statements of this Friday of the two victims are added another 14 previous interrogations.

Last Tuesday, nine people who witnessed the attacks (including a police officer) offered their versions to the judge, in addition to the two officers who arrested Kanjaa and a third who witnessed the arrest.

Last week the investigated person's roommate and his brother also appeared.

The cause is still secret.

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